Alamitos Bay Yacht Club

Brought to you by Seahorse magazine, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinions, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors -- with a European emphasis. Contributions welcome, send to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Swuzzlebubble edge ahead at Half Ton Classics Cup
Photo by David Branigan, www.oceansport.ie. Click on image for photo gallery.

In a clear statement of intent for the remainder of the regatta, Phil Plumtree's Swuzzlebubble found form on the second day of racing at the Euro Car Parks Half Ton Classics Cup at Kinsale with two wins and two second places during a long day afloat sailed in ideal conditions.

While there was a building breeze of 12 to 20 knots ending in champagne sailing conditions for day two, a near gale forecast for Wednesday morning may yet mean a lay day is on the cards and a break in the programme could be the best hope for a tight pack of runner-up contenders to break Plumtree's dominance of the 21-boat fleet.

Two bullets for David Cullen on Checkmate XV edges him into second overall, five points behind Swuzzlebubble and just a single point ahead of Nigel Biggs on Checkmate XVIII, the previous overnight leader. A consistent day for Mike and Ritchie Evans' The Big Picture, Cullen's clubmates from Howth, Co. Dublin keeps them in the hunt in fourth overall and just ten points off the leader.

On the water, Swuzzlebubble's impressive upwind performance is hard to miss and although needing to finish by more than a minute and a half over her nearest rival to win on IRC handicap, Plumtree's team is absent from the boat on boat tussle for places further astern.

The possibility of the gale blowing through by lunchtime on Wednesday has not been discounted and the intention to hold a coastal course remains - pending a decision by the race committee in the morning.sThe longer race offers 1.5x multiplier and could prove critical in deciding the final outcome of the championship.

Top six overall standings after Day 2 - seven races (21 entries)

1. Swuzzlebubble Phil Plumtree (UK)
2 Checkmate XV Dave Cullen (Ireland)
3 Checkmate XVIII Nigel Biggs (UK)
4 The Big Picture Michael & Richard Evans (Ireland)
5 General Tapioca Philippe Pilatte (Belgium)
6 Miss Whiplash Paul Pullen (UK)

Full results: results.kyc.ie/2017/halfton17os.html

Eight Metre Worlds
Hanko, Norway: The weather forecast struck at 4 m / s from south-east, then calming in the afternoon. This gave the sailors some challenges, where the choice of route became important. The outgoing current from river Glomma was another challange. First out was the Finnish Luna, that took the lead after the first cross mark. She was later by Bangalore and Miss U. In the second race, Miss U was first, followed by Bangalore and Sira, that did a good race.

The results so far show that there is no doubth that the classic Sira Class yachts are capable of fighting with the modern "Miss U" yacht in this championships. While Miss U is alone in group of modern yachts, the Sira yachts, built before 1960, the most interesting group in Hanko these days. Bangalore was the best of the day, and Luna had a 2. and a 3.place.The winner of the first day, Pandora, was number 3 and 10 today. Sira, with HM King Harald, finished second in one of the races, while Wanda with Dag Usterud, was probably not satisfied with a 6. and a 10. Place.

Top five after day two:

1. Miss U, Avia Willment, GBR, Moderne, 7 points
2. Bangalore, Terry McLaughlin, CAN, Sira, 14
3. Pandora, Werner Deuring, AUT, Sira, 18
4. Luna, Harri Rochier, FIN, Sira, 21
5. Sira, H M Kong Harald, NOR, Sira, 25

www.8metre-worlds2017.no
8mworlds2017.sapsailing.com

Seahorse August 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Design - Higher (and wider)
The 39ben is not a (wrong) birthday for the Land Rover BAR skipper but it does mark a radical step for another famous yacht racing name. Alex Vrolijk and Jochen Rieker

Historic context
Volvo - and Whitbread - race veterans Brad Jackson (who is going again) and Paul Standbridge (who is definitely not going again) look at race editions old and (very) new

Wow!
It was one hell of an America's Cup match to be commentating on for TV. Ken Read

Confessions of a Cup addict
Or to put it another way, the ability to change your mind gracefully... Ian Walker

Sounds familiar?
Overdue - a new challenge between nations

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M32 Series: Danes Back to Top Spot in Scandinavia
Helsinki, Finland: The tropical paradise of Hernesaaren Ranta delivered three days of tight racing action, just metres from the shoreline of the race village in Helsinki city centre. Danish team Wallen Racing were the stand out performance of the weekend, leading from race one and never leaving the top spot.

Winning race one of the regatta and then continuing to take four bullets on the opening day of M32 Series Scandinavia in Helsinki, Jonas Warrer and his all Danish crew stamped their mark on the event from the outset.

With the third podium spot still within grasp of three teams going into the final race, GAC Pindar just had to finish ahead of Essiq Racing Team and not fall three positions behind Section 16. Skipper Ian WIlliams is a man who always knows the numbers and so would have had this on his mind coming in to the final double scoring race.

In the end the British team made it and sneaked into third place to close out the overall event podium. Flux Team managed another three bullets on the final day, but still couldn't get close enough to the Danes to challenge their grasp on this event, as Wallen Racing pulled a bows up "wheelie" to cross the line in style and take the final race and close out a hugely impressive regatta.

With an event win in Helsinki, Jonas Warrer and Wallen Racing now take the lead on the overall M32 Series Scandinavia as the season heads south to Aarhus where Warrer will look to hold on to his top spot on home town waters. The Danish stopover will run August 31st-September 2nd and is part of the 2017 culture festival taking place in the city.

Results:

1. Wallen Racing, Jonas Warrer, DEN, 50 points
2. FLUX Team, Johnie Berntsson, SWE, 58
3. GAC Pindar, Ian Williams, GBR, 72
4. ESSIQ Racing Team, Nicklas Dackhammar, SWE, 74
5. Section 16, Richard Davies, SUI, 76

m32world.com/scandinavia

Protocol for 2021 America's Cup 'basically done'
Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton says the protocol for the next America's Cup "is basically done" and they are on course to deliver it by the end of September.

Dalton is in Europe working on plans for the 2021 defence in Auckland with Italian challenger of record Luna Rossa.

He's also working on fundraising for the defence of the Auld Mug by Emirates Team New Zealand after their stunning win in Bermuda in June.

Dalton has also touched base with potential European challengers as he works on a two-pronged plan for the future.

He said they were determined to make it a swift process, rather than the tweaking of rules and regulations for Bermuda that dragged on for a year following Oracle Team USA's success in San Francisco in 2013.

"We need to give certainty and stability to the teams," Dalton emphasised.

There is huge anticipation about the class of boat to be used, with the multihull versus monohull debate in full noise, and also the competition structure.

Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa have already signalled a return to more of the traditions of the Cup and Dalton reiterated the desire for a nationality clause around crews and a country of origin for the boats.

"People will see a more respectful ... of the Deed of Gift as the founding document of the whole thing. In recent years it has gone away a lot from the principles of the Deed of Gift, so we are returning more to that."

Dalton suggested the structure of the 36th America's Cup regatta would be "more in line to when New Zealand last had it".

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/

Industry News
The Yacht Racing Forum is pleased to announce a new partnership with Chinese based management agency HAI Sports.

HAI Sports Limited is devoted to building a sports management and marketing platform focused on events promotion, online training management, sports tour arrangement and sports media distribution.

"We attended the Yacht Racing Forum last year in Malta and were very impressed by the business opportunities offered by this event ", says Tim Bai, CEO, Hai Sports. "The Chinese market is opening up to the sport of sailing, and represents a huge potential of development. The Yacht Racing Forum is a great platform to discover new business opportunities. After attending the Forum in Aarhus, our dream is to welcome the international sailing community to China!"

The Yacht Racing Forum 2017 will take place on November 27-28 in Aarhus, Denmark.

www.yachtracingforum.com

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French equity firm NextStage and boatbuilder Fountaine Pajot have entered into negotiations with Dream Yacht Charter to acquire a majority stake in the charter firm. NextStage expects to invest more than €14m in Dream Yacht Charter.

A statement says that the change of ownership would allow Dream Yacht Charter to continue its growth. Founded in 2001, Dream Yacht Charter now has 850 boats in 47 charter bases around the world. The company was able to self-finance its growth through opening new locations and making acquisitions. It has seen annual growth between 15% and 20% over the past 10 years. In 2016, total revenues were about €90m.

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The Helsinki Boat-Afloat Show is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, with the 2017 edition due to take place from August 17-20 at the HSK yacht club's marina in Lauttasaari.

Over the course of its 40-year existence, the Helsinki Boat-Afloat Show has established itself as the largest on-water boat show in Finland and also one with international clout, bringing over 150 exhibitors to the piers and shores. This year's event will feature more than 250 boats, including several 2018 models plus almost every new model for the 2017 season.

Among the boats exhibited for the first time in Finland will be the Hanse 315, the X43 sailing boat from X-Yachts and Dragonfly trimarans.

The exhibition area has also been made over completely, with over 100 stands offering boat equipment, boating gear and related services.

plus.ibinews.com

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UK-based private equity house IW Capital has facilitated a £626,000 loan to Discovery Yachts to support the British sailboat builder's recent acquisition of Southerly Yachts, reports Private Equity Wire.

The acquisition of Southerly is said to be a logical move for Discovery Yachts, which aims to become one of the UK's leading sailboat builders with an 11-model range of monohull and catamaran cruising yachts from 32ft-67ft.

Southerly Yachts folded back in 2014 after accruing debts of more than £800,000. It was once one of the UK's leading sailboat builders, employing around 165 people at its base in Itchenor and its moulding operation in Havant.

While no new Southerly yachts have been built since 2014, the brand is still widely recognised in the market, and the Discovery Yachts management team believe the market is primed for the return of Southerly Yachts. This is reflected in the number of orders that have already been secured by Discovery for a new model.

plus.ibinews.com

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Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image announces a world class lineup of personalities for its international jury 2017. Carlo Borlenghi, universally recognized as one of the best sailing photographers, Rob Kothe, founder of the Sail-World network, Daniel Allisy, sailing writer and founder of Voiles & Voiliers, Nicolas Mirabaud, member of the Executive Committee, Mirabaud & Cie SA, and pro sailor Sally Barkow will be selecting the world's best yacht racing photographs of the year.

The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award has been held since 2010 to recognize the very best yacht racing image taken during the year

The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image (the main prize) will be selected by the international jury. Two secondary prizes will be awarded in parallel: the public prize, based on the public votes on the social networks and the Yacht Racing Forum award, selected by the delegates from the Yacht Racing Forum (Aarhus, November 27-28), based on a selection of the top twenty photographs made by the International Jury and exhibited at the Forum.

Submissions of the photographs is open until October 12, 2017 at midnight on www.yachtracingimage.com

Loss of a sailing great: Edward Allcard dies aged 102
Edward Allcard (centre) in May 1952 with fellow sailors Ann Davison and Norman Fowler in Plymouth. Photo credit: PA Archive/PA Images. Click on image to enlarge.

Yachtman and adventurer, Edward Allcard has died in Andorra, where he lived with his wife, Clare.

According to a notice in The Times, he passed away on 28 July at the age of 102.

Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on 31 October 1914, Edward Allcard was an apprentice shipbuilder in Scotland before he qualified as a naval architect just before the Second World War.

He had learnt to sail as a youngster, and made his first single-handed voyage – from Scotland to Norway and back – in 1939.

In 1951, Edward Allcard became the first man to sail the Atlantic solo in both directions. He had crossed initially in 1949 on his 35-foot wooden ketch, Temptress.

His return journey in 1951 became an international press sensation after he discovered a 23-year-old female stowaway – Otlilia Frayao – on board. The young woman had sneaked on board in the Azores, hoping to visit Europe and England.

In the Canaries in 1957, Allcard met the young Peter Tangvald – later to become the well-known sea gypsy – and they became life long friends.

The pair are credited with taking part in the first ever east-to-west solo transatlantic race when they raced each other to the West Indies. The wager – the princely sum of $1 – was won by Tangvald.

When Tangvald died in July 1991 off the coast of Bonaire, it was Allcard and his wife, Clare who gave a home to Tangvald's 15-year-old son, Thomas, who himself disappeared with his fishing smack, Oasis off the coast of Brazil in 2014.

Between 1957 and 1973, Edward Allcard sailed a protracted solo circumnavigation aboard his 36-foot wooden ketch, Sea Wanderer.

www.ybw.com

Letters To The Editor - editor@scuttlebutteurope.com
Letters are limited to 350 words. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published without your permission.

* From Alistair Skinner:

I reckon young Simon Hoffman has already proved he is a true Olympian and won a trophy far greater than any Gold Medal.

To selflessly throw away a good position in a race to go to someone's aid with such dramatic consequences is what I would expect from the sort of people I am used to meeting, and enjoy meeting, in our sport. Sadly this isn't always (and increasingly so) the case as evidenced by World Sailing feeling the need for a specific 'Misconduct Guidance' manual.

It also shows the value of ancillary skills such as Marine First Aid and CPR.

Our sport needs more Simon Hoffmans and less of those who think only of themselves or disregard the rules and spirit of our sport.

Well done young man, sailing should be proud of you.

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Maxi 79 Racer OURDREAM is a beautifully refitted maxi racing yacht that is easily sailed and perfect corporate or fun platform for both inshore and offshore regattas. Recent refit to a high standard means low running costs.

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The Last Word
I encounter one example after another of how relative truth is. -- Raoul Wallenberg

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In This Issue
MAPFRE seal overall Leg Zero victory | Alberto Bolzan jumps onboard Team Brunel | Bruno Troublé speaks out on the America's Cup | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Entries Open for the 7th Annual Bosham Classic Boat Revival | Historic Schooner Atlantic in Dun Laoghaire | London Boat Show: expect to see sailing superstars past and present | 41st Annual Wooden Boat Festival September 8-10th, 2017 | No place for Team New Zealand on Auld Mug | Launchings | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

MAPFRE seal overall Leg Zero victory
Racing was stopped at 0430 UTC Wednesday, with Vestas 11th Hour Racing winning the stage and MAPFRE finishing top of the qualifying standings

MAPFRE did enough to take the overall Leg Zero honours after the fourth and final stage of the Volvo Ocean Race qualifying series was shortened due to continued forecasts of lights winds.

The stage, which started from Saint-Malo on Sunday and had been due to see the teams race all the way to Lisbon, was brought to a close at 0430 UTC on Wednesday morning.

Fast-improving Vestas 11th Hour Racing took the stage win with the shortest Distance to Finish at 0430 UTC.

team AkzoNobel were second, and third place in the stage was enough for MAPFRE to seal overall victory.

The decision to call a halt to the racing came late on Tuesday night as the stage had become a drifting contest, with the teams making a series of expensive gybes in a bid to find some wind, and latest ETAs predicting that the boats would not reach Lisbon until well into Thursday.

No actual points are at stake on Leg Zero, which was introduced as a means to give the teams crucial time on the water in racing conditions before the Volvo Ocean Race itself begins in October.

Leg Zero, stage four rankings
1. Vestas 11th Hour Racing
2. team AkzoNobel
3. MAPFRE
4. Dongfeng Race Team
5. Team Brunel
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic
7. Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag

Leg Zero, overall final rankings
1. MAPFRE, 29 points
2. Dongfeng Race Team, 24
3. Team Brunel, 24
4. team AkzoNobel, 22
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing, 20
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic, 12
7. Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, 9

www.volvooceanrace.com

Alberto Bolzan jumps onboard Team Brunel
Less than three months before the start of the first stage of the Volvo Ocean Race, set for next October 22nd from Alicante, and just before the began of the Leg Zero, Alberto Bolzan agreed to join Team Brunel, led by the experienced Dutch skipper Bouwe Bekking.

Bolzan, who was in the previous edition with Team Alvimedica and recent winner of the Melges 32 European Championship with Torpyone, has been busy for a few weeks on board the black and yellow VOR 65 Netherlands flagged with which he completed the Leg Zero, event of approach to the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-2018. Team Brunel grabbed the third place behind the Spanish crew of MAPFRE and the French/Chinese crew of the Dongfeng Race Team.

Volvo Ocean Race, here you are again. Where does this decision come from? Maybe because I'm crazy. Seriously, I decided because it is a race that gave me a lot in the latest edition. It's a competition that I loved and hated at the same time, however, because it takes you to the limit. I was not entirely convinced that it would repeat the experience but then, when Team Brunel's call came, I did not have to think twice. It is such a beautiful race from the point of view of the emotions and, with a little more experience accumulated in the past edition, I can aspire to an important result.

Italy is one of the Nations where sailing is most developed. At the same time, though, the interest towards races such as the VOR - despite being it considered one of the highest expressions of sailing - is still limited. Maybe the race has never been promoted adequately, but I hope that in the future Italy will manage to make a national team to express all of its potential: there are many Italian sailors that, put together in a team, would be able to challenge the top English and French crews. It is a shame that such potential is wasted or exploited only partially.

www.brunelsailing.net
volvooceanrace.com

Bruno Troublé speaks out on the America's Cup
Bruno Troublé has spoken out about the 35th America's Cup, criticising the 2017 event in Bermuda and the plans to run a the Cup on a two-year cycle as 'vulgar'.

He celebrated the fact the the USA did not win the event again, saying victors New Zealand would now 'fix it', adding: "They know how to do it."

Speaking about the Bermuda event, Troublé said: "We don't want a video game kind of boat racing where the greatest sailors on earth (Sir Ben Ainslie, Jimmy Spithill or Franck Cammas) have no chance. And while they race, we want to see their faces, not robocops covered with goggles, helmets and mics."

Troublé helmed the French boat in the 1977, 1980 and 1983 Cups, including the 1983 Challenger finals. He worked as a lawyer and later became known as the first America's Cup impresario, introducing Louis Vuitton as a sponsor to the event and running all media activities for the Cup from 1983 to 2003. More recently he has become a key player in the classic world, overseeing the restoration of six rare Universal Rule yachts and bringing them to the Med to race. Troublé is proud that he is one of the 'last amateur sailors', never having been paid to race a yacht.

www.classicboat.co.uk

Seahorse August 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Update
Pistol Pete, upset Norwegians, tradition still rules (the Cup) - but not the (Cup) answers you might expect from one successful America's Cup sailor. Terry Hutchinson, Ivor Wilkins, Ray Davies, Jack Griffin And Corinne Rolland-Mckenzie

In praise of flexibility
Is there now the critical mass needed to get a bit more ambitious with some new formats for international offshore events? Rob Weiland

Smashed it!
Well, that was a week and a half. Pete Burling, Ivor Wilkins, Grant Dalton

Smarter in the lab and smarter on the water
Was everyone looking in the wrong place? Andy Claughton

Wow!
It was one hell of an America's Cup match to be commentating on for TV. Ken Read

Confessions of a Cup addict
Or to put it another way, the ability to change your mind gracefully... Ian Walker

Seahorse build table - More splash less cash?
Fast and (more) affordable. Ben Rogerson

Sailor of the Month
No-compromise dedication to the task at hand

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Entries Open for the 7th Annual Bosham Classic Boat Revival
Click on image for photo gallery.

Calling all classic boat owners for the annual Bosham Classic Boat Revival, 2-3 September, in the pretty harbour village in West Sussex. Quoted as the "premier classic small boat event in the UK" last year, this event attracted 46 classic racing dinghies from around the country.

This year there will again be five races over the two days, using the full scope of Chichester Harbour, which should make for varied and interesting racing. Over the past six years the event has attracted over 50 different classes, totalling 342 entries and 700+ sailors from 65+ clubs.

Regular classes entering include the Alabcore, Chichester Harbour 18, Devon Yawl, Enterprise, Fireball, Finn, International 14, Jollyboat, National 12 & 18, Merlin Rocket, Yachting World Dayboat, & 12m2 Sharpie to name a few.

One of the event highlights is the Concours d'Elegance: the hours of loving restoration bestowed on many of these classic racing dinghies is appraised by a judging panel who have the difficult task of choosing the one which, in their view, is the best and award it the coveted accolade. It is a true display of skill and craftsmanship.

For further information on the Bosham Classic Boat Revival, visit classicboatrevival.co.uk where entry forms, notice of race and sailing instructions are available. Alternatively email ay@classicboatrevival.co.uk

Historic Schooner Atlantic in Dun Laoghaire
In 1905, legendary Scottish-American skipper Charlie Barr - renowned for his many successful defences of the America's Cup on behalf of his adopted home of the United States - was challenged to establish a Transatlantic sailing record from Sandy Hook off New York to the Lizard in southwest England writes W M Nixon

The vessel involved? The two-year-old 185ft three-masted schooner Atlantic, designed by William Gardner, whose special reputation was in big schooners.

The time of year? In May, when it was hoped strong winds of late winter would still prevail.

The event? A race among 11 very large yacht for the Kaiser's Cup, presented by the German Emperor, who stationed one of his battle cruisers at the Lizard to time the finishers.

The result? Driven hard by a very determined Charlie Barr (despite some protests by owner Wilson Marshall, whom Barr ordered to go below), Atlantic crossed first in 12 days 4 hours and 1 minute, an average of 10.02 knots.

It may not seem much by today's standards, but it stood for 75 years until broken by a giant multi-hull skippered by Eric Tabarly in 1980. As a mono-hull record, it stood for nearly a hundred years.

Atlantic was a much-admired vessel, the very best of her type. It was a matter of great sadness when she had to be broken up in the 1980s, as she was beyond restoration. Yet in 2010 a replica was built, which captures the spirit of the great schooner to perfection.

afloat.ie/sail/historic-boats/

London Boat Show: expect to see sailing superstars past and present
Organisers of the five day London Boat Show 2018 have announced the Legends Theatre, featuring sailing heroes, will be the centre of the show

"Inspiring and exciting visitors to the show and its two complementary events, the Boating & Watersports Holiday Show and Bespoke London, this intimate space will be the hub for motivation, advice and knowledge," explained British Marine Boat Shows in a media release.

lthough details of who will be appearing haven't been announced, organisers are promising that the theatre will be "packed with sailing superstars from past and present".

Sessions throughout the day will include interviews with boating legends. It is hoped that by sharing their personal experiences they will inspire visitors to the London Boat Show 2018.

"Each guest speaker has a unique story to tell and the 2018 event will offer visitors exclusive access to the stars and their tales. Visitors can also get involved with the question and answer sessions, a unique chance to put their questions directly to the heroes of their sportor those experts who can provide top advice," said organisers.

www.ybw.com

41st Annual Wooden Boat Festival September 8-10th, 2017
Port Townsend, Washington, USA: Tall ships, paddleboards, kayaks, tugboats, and everything in between - North America's largest wooden boat festival celebrates its 41st year on September 8-10, 2017. Demonstrations, presentations, plays, music, dancing, and great food - this is a weekend of fun for all ages.

Port Townsend's Wooden Boat Festival features over 250 boats; 100 presenters from around the world sharing their adventures, talents, and expertise on 4 indoor and 4 outdoor stages; and live music all weekend on the main stage.

Over 50 vendors will share their wares. See the latest kits for building your own paddleboard, kayak, or wooden boat, and visit new and old favorites for repair and maintenance. Stroll down Artist Way to take in handmade crafts, clothing, and jewelry.

The weekend ends with the awe-inspiring "Sail-By" at 3 p.m. Sunday, when 300 wooden vessels of all shapes and sizes pour out of the harbor and past the waterfront in full sail celebration.

For the weekend's schedule and more information about all the activities during the Festival, go to www.woodenboat.org

No place for Team New Zealand on Auld Mug
Team New Zealand has a dilemma - there is not enough room to engrave this year's America's Cup victory over Oracle on the Auld Mug.

In 2003 and 2007, a Swiss engraver etched the results of Alinghi's Cup wins on to the trophy in a bigger font than any before, leaving no room for future winners, reports newsroom.co.nz.

Every cup race since 1851 is recorded on the trophy.

Two extra silver tiers were added to the bottom of the Cup in 1958 and 1992 to allow for more engraving. But thanks to Alinghi's outsized inscriptions, there's no more space to record the nine races of the 2017 America's Cup.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is considering re-engraving the bottom section, to match the original font on the rest of the Cup. But before that is done, previous winners of the trophy will be asked if they agree with the idea, or would like to suggest an alternative.

Squadron commodore Steve Mair said adding another section would not be sustainable.

"After a certain period of time, you can't have it 20 feet tall," says Mair. The Cup has already grown to 1.1m high and weighs over 14kg.

"We have to figure out a way to future-proof it."

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/

Launchings
Conrad Humphreys is a competitive sailor, who's sailed around the world three times in some of the sailing world's most famous races.

He is now also renowned for being professional skipper on the ambitious recreation of Bligh's legendary small boat journey for Channel 4 programme Mutiny.

Here Conrad takes a look at one of his highlights from the Captain Bligh: Myth, Man and Mutiny exhibition, the replica Bounty launch.

The in-house build of the Bounty launch at the museum, is part of a programme of reconstructions of historical craft in the museum's boatbuilding workshop.

Captain Bligh: Myth, Man and Mutiny brings to life one of the greatest small boat survival stories in history featuring relics from the voyage and the specially built reproduction of the launch.

https://nmmc.co.uk

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Dufour Yachts has announced that it will launch the Dufour 520 Grand Large at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

The yacht has two layout options - three or four cabins - with the option of an additional berth in either layout. This means that it can comfortably accommodate up to 10 people.

Unsurprisingly, Dufour is not releasing many details about the new 15.2-metre yacht ahead of the launch.

But, there will be a new design cockpit table with stainless steel feet. It will also feature a 39-litre drawer refrigerator tucked under the table top.

The 520 Grand Large has been designed by naval architect Umberto Felci.

The Cannes Yachting Festival takes place in Cannes 12-17 September.

www.ybw.com/boat-events/

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A vintage 39m schooner which has fascinated yacht lovers for more than a century is to be rebuilt to preserve it for future prosperity.

Team Huisfit's task is to fully reconstruct the Herreshoff Vagrant protecting the vessel's historic value, while re-engineering it with the most modern quality materials and board systems available.

Vagrant has already arrived at the Royal Huisman facilities in Vollenhove where the yacht will be fully stripped.

The rebuild will begin with sandblasting and preservation of the vessel's 33m, 100-year-old steel hull, after which a new deck and all necessary outfitting will be re-installed.

Dykstra Naval Architects and Rondal will provide the re-rigging of Vagrant's schooner-rigged sail plan with yankee, staysail, main staysail and queen fisherman, while new Rondal aluminum masts will be constructed for the inside furling of the fisherman and mainsail.

Without compromising on space the engine, generators, heating, air conditioning and more will be smartly concealed behind wooden panels and cabinetry.

Meanwhile, the luxury owner and guest accommodation will be refurbished, while new crew's quarters will be created by Royal Huisman's joinery.

The rebuilt Vagrant is scheduled for delivery in 2019.

www.boatingbusiness.com

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The Swan 54 is designed as a pure bluewater cruiser that is ideally suited for a couple. It uses the hull mould of the Swan 53 (a 2005 Frers design), but the rest of the boat is completely reconfigured to give a more contemporary look and feel. But is Nautor's decision to re-use an old design a step backwards, or is it just sensible to recycle proven lines?

A four-cabin layout is available, but the three-cabin layout is standard. Yet as this boat is very much aimed at couples, there is also a two-cabin model, which includes a large office.

Owners can also specify a chart table that splits the saloon sofa, as well as a third heads and a crew cabin.

When we first saw images of this 54, it was a little underwhelming, looking slightly dated by today's standards.

However, it is clear from the enduring popularity of the Metre and J Class yachts that many sailors still yearn for more classic lines. Perhaps Nautor's Swan is going for retro appeal with its renewal of an old model, or perhaps this is simply a sweet hull that had no need of a redesign. The reasoning matters not.

The Swan 54 is a dependable boat for couples looking to live aboard or cruise long distance - and particularly those looking for an aft cockpit model to suit stern-to berthing and warm climates.

With its quality build and finish its value is sure to hold up well.

In a year that saw Swan launch an array of very modern yachts: three 115s, a 95, a radical new one-design, plus announce a 78-footer, news of a return to the type of serious bluewater cruising yacht that made this yard's name is particularly welcome.

www.yachtingworld.com

* From Owen Sharpe in Auckland:

Hi Dalts. The Scuttlebutt says you are working on a two pronged approach to AC36. I hope both of them are bows. It would be respectful of the sailors and the audience, if not the NYYC.

Featured Brokerage
1997 Farr 30 One Design 'Barking Mad'. 130,000.00 USD Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Barking Mad is a world championship level Farr 30 that has been full-time professionally maintained to the highest degree with no expense spared to keep it in better-than-new condition.

Excellent choice for ORC Racing - sister Farr 30’s were 2nd and 3rd overall in Class C at the 2017 ORC World Championship in Trieste, Italy

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tink Chambers
Stagg Yachts
tink@staggyachts.com
+1.410.268.1001

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2017 Libertist 850

Libertist is freedom, speed, and sheer joy of sailing. It is of the best quality and innovative materials. Very light, equipped with minifoils, rotating carbon mast, and ample electronics. The trimaran has been created for demanding sailors who love their sport.

An 8.50 m trimaran designed by Erik Lerouge. Very light, equipped with permanent minifoils, a rotating carbon mast and ample electronics. A real cruiser-racer made of high quality materials in a renowned Polish shipyard. It guarantees great sailing satisfaction at a very competitive price.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
hello@libertist.eu
+33 (0)2 51 51 46 45

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K36 - Samurai

Samurai is the image of this boat. A Samurai traditionally has been a person who serves a well respected leader and has “Busido” spirit meaning they have the drive to fight with every effort and dedication to the best of their ability and skill.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
+81 (0) 46 884 4141
+81 (0) 46 884 4142
info@actechnology.co.jp

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
The world willnot be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. -- Albert Einstein

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Swuzzlebubble wins third Half Ton Classics Cup with a day to spare | Towards an exiting 8 metre World Cup finale | Land Rover BAR , Welcomed home to Portsmouth | Nacra 17 - Everything takes longer than you think | 72 Hours Until the Start of the Clipper 2017-18 Race | Seconds count at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup | Industry News | Featured Brokerage

Swuzzlebubble wins third Half Ton Classics Cup with a day to spare
Swuzzlebubble. Photo by David Branigan, www.oceansport.ie With an enviable scoresheet of mostly first and second places for the series, Phil Plumtree's Swuzzlebubble won the Euro Car Parks Half Ton Classics Cup at Kinsale, Ireland with just Friday's eleventh race remaining. A breezy penultimate day ended with a short coastal course in which the British boat placed fifth but was still good enough to confirm the overall win.

Plumtree's ten race series saw him dominate the 21-strong fleet from the opening race on Monday in spite of an eighth place in race three. However, four races on Tuesday left little room for doubt with all first and second places for the day while the event discard took care of the high score from the opening day.

Another first and second place on Thursday saw Swuzzlebubble start the coastal course with a commanding nine-point advantage. However, the race around the scenic approaches to Kinsale and the finish off the historic Charles Fort carried a 1.5x multiplication factor and several wipe-outs in the heavy conditions at sea saw Plumtrees team place fifth.

The regatta now returns to what had been suspected all week given Swuzzlebubble's pre-event favourite status after two previous titles: that the series is a battle for second place.

As has been the case all week with one day lost to high-winds, the forecast for Friday morning is for near gales but with a possible weather window to allow for an earlier starting-time of 0955 for a one hour windward-leeward course.

Top six overall standings after Day 4 - ten races (21 entries)
1. Swuzzlebubble Phil Plumtree (UK)
2. Checkmate XV Dave Cullen (Ireland)
3. Checkmate XVIII Nigel Biggs (UK)
4. The Big Picture Michael & Richard Evans (Ireland)
5. General Tapioca Philippe Pilate (Belgium)
6. Harmony Jonny Swan (Ireland)

Full results: results.kyc.ie/2017/halfton17os.html

Towards an exiting 8 metre World Cup finale
After today's layday, sailors and organizers are rested and ready for the two final days off the 8 metre World Cup off Hanko in southeastern Norway. There have been excellent racing sofar in condition varying from light, 6-8 knots, to yesterdays 16-20 in building seas. The Hanko course is difficult to sail, even for the home teams, as the current coming from the river Glomma gives the left tackers a lee bow advantage, which tends to be countered by a veering wind on the right side.

After six good races it is evident that the 2014 built Faroux designed Miss U is on a steady course towards the 2017 World Cup, although she has been beaten twice so far in the series by aging beauties from the Sira Class (boats built prior to 1960). Therefore there real competition is in this class which provides exceptionally close racing between the top boats. The fight for glory in this class is between Pandora, ex Raven, Wernes Deuring, AUT, Lars Ingebergs Wanda, NOR King Haralds Sira and Bangalore steered by olympic medalist Terry McLaughlin, CAN. Whereas Bangalore seems to thrive in light airs and being less comfortable in the stronger breeze, the others seem to go well in all conditions.

Yesterday gave the home crowds something to cheer about, when in the last race the fight for the top position in the Sira class provided extremely close and exiting races between Wanda, Sira and the 1930 Bjarne Aas design If Tom Knutsen, NOR. They were all leading at one point, and at the finish, only seconds kept them apart. You will not find closer racing even in the strictest one design classes.

In the Neptune Class for boats qualifying in the Sira Class but are restricted to use dacron sails and non self tailing winches, the fight is between, Carron II, Angelo Mazzarello, SUI, Saskia, Allan Manuel, GBR and Falcon, Jan Willem, NED. Elfe II. Andi Lochbrunner GER is leading the gaff rigged First Rule boats.

Tomorrow is expected light SW 6-8 knots, which could provide some interesting changes to the results. -- Mikkel Thommessen

Full results

Land Rover BAR , Welcomed home to Portsmouth
Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics Bring the Team Home. In a combined effort of complex, time-sensitive logistics, Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics have safely delivered home the team's most precious cargo - after a fantastic challenge by the team at Land Rover BAR contesting the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda earlier this year.

Sevenstar Yacht Transport are once again delighted to assist with the direct charter shipping for the return of Land Rover BAR's temporary team base, 35th America's Cup race boat, test boat, all the support boats and containers and of course the team crew personal effects.

Sarah Rickarby, Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics says "it has been our pleasure to work with the team at Land Rover BAR to safely deliver all their cargo to Bermuda and to also make sure it has come home safely to Portsmouth. Over the 3 outbound charter shipments and the return charter ship we have safely transported over 4000m3 of cargo for the team."

Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics
Meridians House, 7 Ocean Way
SO14 3TJ Southampton
Contact: Sarah Rickerby/Wouter Verbraak
Phone: +44 2380821030
www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com

Nacra 17 - Everything takes longer than you think
When the Tornado multihull first appeared in the 1976 Olympics it was a proven nine-year-old design.

By contrast when the foiling version of the Nacra 17 was chosen for the 2020 Olympics, it seems some elements of the new design foils were pretty much thought bubbles.

Many observers believed at the time that component designers, Nacra management, the Class and World Sailing were underestimating the challenges of bringing foil development from screen to water, not as a working prototype that could be modified by a spare little or no expense 24x7 crew, but ready for Olympic level One Design production.

So it was that a year into this Olympic quadrennium, the first 2020 campaigners (one per nation) received their boats in late July 2017. Immediately quality problems in manufacturing problems emerged then came the design issues.

Sailing was suspended at the Aarhus Olympic test event last weekend, ahead of the Medal Race because of a design fault which affected all 47 of the boats so far delivered.

Unable to use their boats until they receive new daggar board lower bearing cassettes, many of the crews sailing at Grand Motte Worlds just over two weeks away, will have had their boats for three weeks and that is certainly a big hill to climb for everyone involved.

The Class is obviously the meat in the sandwich, Ben Remocker the Class Manager is doing his best to communicate and you can feel the pain as you read the latest update... but the real message is 'Everything takes longer than you think'

Full article by Rob Kothe

72 Hours Until the Start of the Clipper 2017-18 Race
With less than 72 hours before the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet line up on the River Mersey to start the 2017-18 edition of the 40,000 nautical mile race around the globe, anticipation is building in Albert Dock with crowds gathering to wish the fleet well.

The Liverpool 2018 Clipper Race yacht naming ceremony kicked off the action for the day, with the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, joining Clipper Race Founder and Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and Skipper of Liverpool 2018, Lance Shepherd on the bow of the yacht for a Champagne moment.

The Clipper Race fleet was also open to the public once again today. Two of the twelve Clipper70 race yachts, UNICEF and Garmin, opened their hatches to members of the public who had the chance to get on board and have a little taste of life on a racing yacht.

The Clipper Race starts on Sunday at 1230 (BST), with events at Albert Dock, Liverpool, starting from 0800 (BST). It will be streamed LIVE on the Clipper Race website: www.clipperroundtheworld.com/livestream and the Clipper Race YouTube Channel.

Seconds count at the Landsail Tyres J-Cup
Thrilling close racing is in the DNA of J Boats. With no less than four National Championships, the competition was incredibly close, for the first day of the 2017 Landsail Tyres J-Cup.

Spotting the shifts, and extra breeze, were keys to winning performances, with 15-20 knots of solid pressure coming off the land, the planing, asymmetric J Boats were romping around Tor Bay. The Royal Torbay Yacht Club, set two excellent windward leeward courses, with three races completed by all classes.

For the J/88 UK National Championship, the competition was intense, the biggest winning margin was 21 seconds, with four teams within a point of pole position after three races. Paul Ward's Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat, is tied on points at the top, with David & Kirsty Apthorp's J-Dream. Reigning J/88 UK National Champion, Gavin Howe's Tigris, won the last race of the day, to claim third, tied on points with Tim Tolcher's Raging Bull.

The reigning J/97 UK National Champions, Andy & Annie Howe's Blackjack II, opened their defense in style, winning two races. However, Bob Baker's Jaywalker is just a point behind, having won the last race of the day. Royal Torbay Yacht Club's George Rock-Evans, skipper of J/97 Juno, scored three podium places to finish the first day, third in class.

For the J/109 UK National Championship, three teams are tied at the top for first place, but only one of them actually won a race today. Robert Stiles' team racing Diamond Jem won the last race of the day, to secure pole position on countback from Simon Perry's Jiraffe, and David Richards' Jumping Jellyfish. Race winners in the J/109 Class included, Steve Berry's Blue Jay, and Stuart Hills' Jenesis. Mike Yates' Jago, and David McGough's Just So, also made the podium.

For the J/111 UK National Championship, Tony Mack's McFly, continued their impressive form exhibited at Cowes Week, to lead the class after three races. However, Marco Van Driel's Dutch J/111 Sweeney, showed championship winning from pushing McFly in every race. Paul Griffiths' Jagerbomb scored two podium finishes to claim third.

Action from Day One of the 2017 Landsail Tyres J-Cup. (Key Yachting/Louay Habib) Racing at the 2017 Landsail Tyres J-Cup continues tomorrow, Friday 18th August 2017, with three races scheduled for all six classes. -- Louay Habib

www.facebook.com/TheJCup
www.j-cup.co.uk

Industry News
US Watercraft, which builds the Alerion Yachts, C&C Yachts, True North Yachts and North Rip Boats brands, has been placed in receivership. The Rhode Island builder is also licensed to build several JBoat models.

Vincent Indeglia was named as temporary receiver by the Rhode Island Superior Court. The court met last week to assess and secure all of the company's assets. Its creditors are restricted from filing any legal motions against the builder.

US Watercraft's facilities are located in Warren, Rhode Island.

plus.ibinews.com

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The Greek Coast Guard is going after both domestic and foreign-registered vessels that carry out excursions in Greek waters

The Greek Coast Guard and a new government agency that is tasked with finding illegal revenue sources has stepped up a campaign against illegal yacht charters in Greece. Naftemporiki.gr reported that authorities are going after both domestic and foreign-registered vessels that carry out excursions in Greek waters.

The website said that a number of yacht charter vessels in Santorini were fined for under-reporting a charter in Greek waters. Five other charter boats were also inspected and fined. The businesses were shuttered by Greek authorities for 48 hours.

The Coast Guard also reported that two foreign-flagged yachts were fined for conducting charters that began and ended in Greek waters while the charters were packaged and paid for outside of Greece.

plus.ibinews.com

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Michael Schmidt Yachtbau in Germany has announced a new partnership with Bill Tripp for the design of a 70-foot sailing yacht.

This new model is part of a plan to develop a series of smaller semi-custom Carbon Sailing yachts.

Michael Schmidt Yachtbau (MSY) is increasingly becoming a more dominant player in the construction of fast, light displacement sailing yachts built in carbon. Currently the yard is working on a new 70-foot model to be launched in 2018, with Bill Tripp the chosen designer.

Bill Tripp an avid racer, started Tripp Design Naval Architecture in 1984. Today Tripp and his team, design and engineer state-of-the-art yachts, ranking from race boats to the largest sailing superyachts with offices in both Connecticut and Amsterdam.

The first information on the new project is expected to be revealed at the Cannes Boat Show in September this year. The first boat will be launched in summer 2018.

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Navico - the world's largest manufacturer of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands - announced today the finalization of an agreement to acquire Naviop, a global leader in marine monitoring and control systems. Providing the integration framework to capture data from all boating systems, Naviop creates a digital ecosystem on boats outfitted with Simrad, Lowrance and B&G marine electronics, with the multifunction display serving as the hub for complete system control and information - all designed to enhance boater awareness and enjoyment.

Navico has approximately 1,500 employees globally and distribution in more than 100 countries worldwide.

www.navico.com

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The tenth edition of the Yacht Racing Forum, in Aarhus, Denmark (November 27-28) will once again reassemble the sport's key personalities and actors, including a strong delegation of World Sailing representatives.

Kim Andersen, World Sailing's President since November 2016, will present a keynote address whilst other members will contribute to conferences on sustainability, gender equity, racing formats and more. " Those subjects are at the heart of our work", says World Sailing CEO Andy Hunt. "The Yacht Racing Forum gives us the opportunity to explain our actions and discuss them with some of the sports' leading influencers."

Now in its 10th year, the Yacht Racing Forum 2017 will take place eight months prior to the 2018 Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, where 1,600 sailors from 100 nations will race for medals.

www.yachtracingforum.com

Featured Brokerage
2002 Swan 45-009 'Luna'. 335,000 EUR. Located in Piombino, Italy.

Luna features two guest cabins and two heads, perfectly set up for two couples or a family of four to enjoy fast and comfortable cruising.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage - Giorgio Passarella giorgio.passarella@nautorswan.com brokerage@nautorswan.com

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2006 Marine Composite Racer-Cruiser. 260000 EUR. Located in Imperia, Italy.

SEAWONDER is an immaculate, race-winning MC46, launched by Marine Composite in late 2003. She is built entirely from pre-preg carbon over Corecell. She has been professionally maintained and has a comprehensive inventory of sails and equipment. A new bow and IRC/ORC keel were fitted in 2009.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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2005 Comet 45 - ILVITELLO. 200,000 EUR. Located in Flensburg, Germany.

Composite rocket ship from Comar Yachts. 2005 build and comprehensively optimised in 2008 with new keel, rudder, carbon rig and a funky suit of Banks D4 sails.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Death gives meaning to our lives. It gives importance and value to time. Time would become meaningless if there were too much of it. -- Ray Kurzweil

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Biggest Ever Clipper Race Sets Sail From Liverpool | St. Francis Yacht Club Reclaims Hinman Trophy Team Race | Land Rover BAR , Welcomed home to Portsmouth | Dramatic Final Day in the 8mr World Cup | Scott Kaufman Wins 2017 Etchells North American Championship | How Much in the Sponsorship Pot for all These Irish Offshore Sailing Superstar Hopefuls? | The last straw - Sailors for the Sea | J/24 Irish National Championship | Newport Bermuda Race Survey | Simon Hoffman & Santiago Alegre Are Afloat.ie Special Award "Sailors of the Month" for August | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Biggest Ever Clipper Race Sets Sail From Liverpool
The biggest ever edition of the 40,000-nautical mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, one of the world's toughest endurance challenges, involving higher participation numbers than ever before, got underway on the River Mersey, Liverpool, today, in front of thousands of spectators.

After heading out of the River Mersey and into the Irish Sea, the twelve-strong Clipper Race fleet is heading 6,400 nM south, the equivalent distance of ten Fastnet Races, through the Atlantic Ocean towards Punta del Este, Uruguay. This opening leg of the eleven-month series will take approximately 35 days to complete and is the longest ever in the race's 21-year history.

712 non-professional crew, the most ever in its eleven editions, from all walks of life and including many who had no previous sailing experience, will take on Mother Nature in this ultimate ocean challenge, representing 41 different nationalities.

With a short inshore circuit getting the race underway, Dare to Lead led the way over the line on the course's return loop with Garmin less than half a boat length behind.

Greenings and PSP Logistics struggled in the light airs and strong tide and HotelPlanner.com faltered on the start line but had one of the loudest cheers as it rounded the mark and has managed to keep in touch with the fleet as the teams now race into the Irish Sea.

Following their stopover in Uruguay, the teams will then head to Cape Town, Fremantle, Sydney, Hobart, The Whitsundays, Sanya, Qingdao, Seattle, Panama and New York before a final crossing of the Atlantic Ocean towards Derry-Londonderry.

clipperroundtheworld.com

St. Francis Yacht Club Reclaims Hinman Trophy Team Race
Newport Rhode Island, USA: After three years of close, but not quite, St. Francis Yacht Club is again the champions of the New York Yacht Club Invitational Team Race Regatta for the Commodore George R. Hinman Masters Trophy. The West Coast team has been one of the strongest masters team racing crews for the past decade, including a run of three straight Hinman Trophy wins from 2011 to 2013. But victory in this most prized of masters team race events had narrowly eluded them of late. The St. Francis team was third in 2014 and second in 2015 and 2016.

The 2017 edition of the Hinman Masters, which is sponsored by Porsche and was first run in 2000, came down to a winner-take-all race between St. Francis Yacht Club, of San Francisco, and two-time defending Hinman Trophy champs Noroton Yacht Club of Darien, Conn.

In the best-of-five finals, Noroton jumped out of a 2-0 lead, but St. Francis battled back with two wins of its own to set up the deciding race.

The battle for third place featured the two teams who sailed the best in the round robin portion, New York Yacht Club 1 and Southern Yacht Club from New Orleans, which won 14 races. The teams split the first two races, with Southern winning the deciding race.

Winning Team, St. Francis Yacht Club: Russ Silvestri (skipper), Christopher Smith, Joe McCoy, Mario Yovkov, Nicole Breault (skipper), Rolf Kaiser, Thomas Iseler, Steve Marsh (team captain), Shawn Bennett (skipper), Tom Purdy, Tom Ducharme, and Melissa Feagin.

Final Results (with Round Robin Win Totals)
1. St. Francis Yacht Club, San Francisco, 11 points
2. Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, Conn., 14
3. Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, 14
4. New York Yacht Club 1, 16
5. Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Centre Island, N.Y., 12
6. Larchmont (N.Y.) Yacht Club, 8
7. Eastport (Md.) Yacht Club, 3
8. Texas Corinthian Yacht Club, Kemah, Texas, 8
9. Riverside Yacht Club, Greenwich, Conn., 2
10. New York Yacht Club Squared, 2

nyyc.org

Sevenstar Racing Yacht Logistics
Meridians House, 7 Ocean Way
SO14 3TJ Southampton
Contact: Sarah Rickerby/Wouter Verbraak
Phone: +44 2380821030
www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com

Dramatic Final Day in the 8mr World Cup
Photo by James Robinson Taylor, www.jrtphoto.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Hanko, Norway: With expectations of strong winds up to 20 + knots, only parts of the float chose to go out and fight for the top positions in the final day of the 8mR World Cup in Hanko.

The overall winner is, without beeing on the water in the second race today, GBR "Miss U" with Avia Willment. With a set of 7 1.places, one 2. and one 3.rd. the modern yacht didn´t have to finish the last race in order to win overall. With 12 points, the modern James Bond-inspired boat was 18 points ahead og number two.

Behind Miss U, Austrian Pandora and Werner Deuring took the second place overall with 18 points, followed by Norwegian "Wanda" and Lars Ingeberg with 37 counting points after deleting the DSQ from day two.

Sira Class

After tight fights among the 4-5 best yachts in the Sira Class, the above mentioned 2. and 3. place Pandora and Wanda, took 1. and 2.place in the Sira Class. Number three in the class for yachts built before 1960, was Canadian "Bangalore" withTerry Mc Laughlin with 42 points.

Number 4 and 5, were both Norwegian, and ended both on 53 counting points. Number 4, IF had a lower total sum before deleting the weakest single race result than Sira.

With winds up to 20+, the conditions were quite challaging the last day og the race, and many of the yachts that did not have an opportunity to advance, chose to stay inshore.

Finnish "Silja" came back to the yacht club with broken mast before the start,and H. M King Harald´s "Sira", was fighting for å top three position in the Sira class until her mast came down on the second cross leg in the second race. Fortunately there were no human injuries.

Results and entries

Scott Kaufman Wins 2017 Etchells North American Championship
San Diego, California, USA: Saturday was an exciting last day of the 2017 Etchells North American Championship hosted by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and Etchells Fleet 13. Twenty-nine teams completed the last two races in Coronado Roads, culminating in a new North American Champion after eight races total.

Scott Kaufman (USA 1198) placed second in race eight, but with 25 points total after three days of racing, he was named the 2017 Etchells North American Champion. Friday was Kaufman's best day out on the water with two bullets and one third place finish.

This is Kaufman's first win of the Etchells North American Championship.

Next for Kaufman is the Etchells World Championship in September in San Francisco.

Top three competitors overall: Scott Kaufman (25 points), Steve Benjamin (38 points), and Argyle Campbell (45 points).

Top three competitors overall in the Corinthian Division: Keith Whittemore (60 points), Ted Hardenbergh (74 points), and Charlie Mann (128 points).

Finals results

www.sdyc.org

etchells.org

How Much in the Sponsorship Pot for all These Irish Offshore Sailing Superstar Hopefuls?
There have been several Irish offshore racing sailors who have been making national and world headlines for some years now, but in recent weeks and months the wave of new enthusiasm for the big ticket events has surged to fresh heights.

One of the stories underlying all this is the potential for a specialist marine industry base in Cork Harbour serving the continuous needs of the most advanced racing machines, and providing a launch pad for global campaigns. The idea has been around for some time now, but as reported in Afloat.ie as long ago as April 1st 2015, while the goodwill may be there, a firm decision is still awaited.

Local minister Simon Coveney has since moved on from the Marine to other Government departments. His present very senior role in representing Ireland through the Department of Foreign Affairs in decidedly turbulent times will mean that the needs of something so difficult to gauge for significant political and economic benefits will scarcely be top priority.

Yet for the many leading Irish sailors – both men and women – who have launched themselves into the decidedly uncertain world of top level professional competition, the problem of resources and facilities to keep the show on the road is always present, and frequently at crisis levels. -- WM Nixon in Afloat magazine

Full story at afloat.ie/blogs/

The last straw - Sailors for the Sea
Every long journey still (sic) begins with the first step. This month Sailors for the Sea turn their attention to those annoying plastic drinking 'aids'.

For centuries the enduring allure of tropical waters, trade winds and palm-fringed islands has enticed sailors to the Caribbean. The romantic notion of a pristine island paradise probably started with the stories brought back from the first Europeans to visit the Caribbean during the Age of Discovery. We're in a different age now, one where man's impact on the environment can be as big as nature's; to preserve the notion of pristine paradise we need to work with, rather than against, nature. A balance must be met to reduce our impact on the environment so that nature as we know it may be preserved for future generations.

Sailors for the Sea's Clean Regattas programme is designed to assist events and local communities to adopt standards and practices that will mitigate the effects of unsightly and environmentally unsafe refuse. The programme defines 25 best practices with guidelines on how to run any waterbased event in a sustainable way.

Full article in the August issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

J/24 Irish National Championship
Photo by David Branigan, www.oceansport.ie. Click on image to enlarge.

Lough Erne Yacht Club's JP McCaldin emerged overall winner after a blustery three-day regatta for the Mespil Hotel J24 National Championship at Sligo Yacht Club.

Sailing against a 26-strong fleet - a record turnout for recent times - plus a match-race challenge from runner-up Stefan Hyde, McCaldin scored all first and second places for the eight race series.

His principal challenger was almost as consistent with four wins as well but the Cork skipper also had to count a fourth and a third to admit defeat by just three points.

The duelling leaders were followed by a closely bunched pack of followers led by Martin Reilly on Crazy Horse who comfortably secured third place going into the final thanks to a consistent run ofmostly top five results.

Howth's Derek Bothwell returned to Sligo with the J24's once more and delivered the series in challenging weather, particularly for the first two days that saw strong winds whip big seas that provided thrilling surfing conditions for the fleet.

The national championships also marked the retirement of class maestro Flor O'Driscoll as Class President to great acclaim and a standing ovation at Saturday evening's dinner not only for his service to the fleet but also his persistence and continuing success afloat. -- David Branigan

www.sligoyachtclub.ie

Newport Bermuda Race Survey
This is an important request, especially for NBR racers, and I strongly encourage you to participate in the survey described below.

This season, the Newport-Bermuda Race and a few of North America's premier offshore race organizers and yacht clubs have teamed together to create a survey to learn what is most important to you, as an ocean cruiser or racer.

This survey is being implemented by an independent market research company, Performance Research, and is in no way affiliated with sales of any kind. The results will be completely anonymous and used to help improve how race organizers and clubs can better serve you for the future of our sport. Of course many of you are likely to receive multiple requests to take part from different organizations, and apologies if this is the second or third you've received! Once is enough.

We very much hope you will take advantage of this survey and provide us with your valuable feedback. It should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed on this link: http://www.prsurvey.com/offshore

Should you have any questions or have any difficulty accessing the survey, please do not hesitate to contact the administrator at: Bill@performanceresearch.com

Sincerely,

Jonathan Brewin
Chair, Bermuda Race Organizing Committee

Simon Hoffman & Santiago Alegre Are Afloat.ie Special Award "Sailors of the Month" for August
In the 21 years since the Afloat.ie "Sailor of the Month" awards were first introduced, we have always dutifully waited until the end of the month before allocating the plaudits, even when it has been clear for days or even weeks where the honours were going to be placed.

But special situations deserve special treatment, and 17–year-old Cork Harbour sailor Johnny Durcan's heartfelt thanks to fellow 29er sailors Simon Hoffman of Australia and Santiago Alegre of Spain for saving his life in the recent Worlds at Los Angeles has served as a very timely reminder of the dangers of our sport at its most intense and competitive levels.

So now is the time to honour what they did. And what they did was so special that we'll regard it as a privilege to re–state it all when the end of the month duly arrives in a fortnight's time.

We can all only hope that, faced with such a situation, our own instincts of humanity would guide us in the right way too. Yet that is something for which most of the rest of us can only hope. But Simon Hoffman and Santiago Alegre have shown us what true instincts of humanity can achieve, and they deserve heartfelt gratitude from the entire world of sailing.

afloat.ie/sail/

* From Rob Kothe:

In response to a class executive committee request regarding the bearing recall, here is an update from Nacra Sailing:

Nacra Sailing answer:
- Sailing the Full Foiling Nacra 17 is allowed up until 15 knots of wind using the original bearing
- When a team has fit the new 'active bearing,' all limitations are removed

With the root cause of the failures found and the solution on its way, this is just a temporarily measure until further notice. We hope that teams can train to make their hours within the wind frame mentioned above and prepare themselves. For us too, it would be great if we can leave this behind soon and move on to build a strong fleet with enthusiastic sailors and coaches." -- From Nacra Sailing

Please take this notice as valid from the moment received.

Regards,
Nacra 17 Executive Committee

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The Last Word
We're in the space exploration business, and the outer solar system is a wild, wooly place. We haven't explored it very well. -- Alan Stern

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
J Class Line Up for Inaugural World Championship in Newport | Eight Skippers From Five Nations: Detroit Cup | Harken International Boat Show Schedule | Yacht once owned by New Zealand's wealthiest man being restored | International Canoe World Championship | Laser Radial Worlds | In Praise of Flexibility | The Challenge of the Nord Stream Race | 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards nomination period open | Featured Brokerage

J Class Line Up for Inaugural World Championship in Newport
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi, carloborlenghi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

In the long and storied history of the J Class, Newport Rhode Island is a very special place. It was when the event moved from New York City to Narrangansett Bay for the 1930 regatta that the America's Cup was first raced for the very first time in J Class yachts. The Vanderbilt syndicate's Enterprise prevailed against Shamrock V. Harold S Vanderbilt won again in the colours of the New York Yacht Club on Rainbow in 1934 and then once more in 1937, winning 4-0 on the mighty Ranger.

Those three America's Cups in Newport reflected the J Class in its pomp before it was superseded in 1958 by the 12 Metre which raced eight subsequent editions off Newport.

An exciting new chapter in the history of the J Class and its colourful association with Newport and with the passionate hosts and organisers, the New York Yacht Club, will be written over coming days when a record fleet of six J Class yachts will compete for the very first J Class World Championship.

The class' recent incorporation as a member group of the International Maxi Class Association allows the J Class yachts to compete for the World title - as ratified by World Sailing - for the first time ever.

Crews of the six yachts - Velsheda (1933), Ranger (2003), Hanuman (2009), Lionheart (2010), Topaz (2015) and Svea (2017) - have been training on the Bay over recent days, building up to Monday's official Practice Race before racing starts Tuesday.

A flexible programme of five days of racing - three of windward-leeward contests, usually two per day, and two days of Navigator Races, middle distance coastal races using a variety of fixed navigation marks - should prove a fitting challenge. Forecasters suggest normal sea breeze conditions for the opening days, some stronger winds midweek tapering to lighter airs for the final races. The choice of racing format for each day will be decided the previous evening.

The J Class World Championship wasofficially opened this Monday evening at a reception at the New York Yacht Club's Newport Harbour Court hosted by the NYYC and Rolex.

jclassyachts.com

Eight Skippers From Five Nations
Detroit, Michigan, USA: Competitive international sailing returns to the Detroit River this year in Bayview Yacht Club's 10th Anniversary Detroit Cup, the second stage of the three-event USA GRAND SLAM series. Eight skippers and their crews representing five nations will be competing over August 24-27th on equally-matched Ultimate 20 sportboats. Their competitive format of match race sailing that represents one of the most exciting and spectator-friendly forms of the sport.

This year's Detroit Cup skippers include the returning 2016 champion Harry Price and his DownUnder Racing team from Sydney, Australia, racing with Murray Jones and Cameron Seagreen. This team's meteoric rise through the rankings to their current position as 6th in the world is a remarkable feat, given Price's young age of 21 years old. His most recent major victory was earlier this month in Newport Beach, California where he won the Youth Match Racing World Championship.

From the other side of Australia in Perth comes Will Boulden and his Performance Sprint Sports team of Josh Whijohn and Andrew Briggs. This team has reached the Finals in 12 major international events, and has a current world ranking of 18th.

Andrei Nikolaev from Russia was once ranked 23rd in the world over a decade ago, and after a long hiatus and a rebuild of his match racing prowess in the last three years, he has reached a rank of 49th in the world with his family crew of Aleksei Nikolaev and Elena Nikolaev. Organizers at Bayview YC are pleased to welcome the Nikolaev's as only the second-ever Russian-based team to compete at Detroit Cup.

Round Robin racing starts on Thursday, August 24th, and will proceed until the Semi-Finals and Finals on Sunday, August 27th. Results will be posted online at www.matchracingresults.com, as well as on the event website.

Winning Skippers, Detroit Cup:

2016 - Harry Price (AUS)
2015 - Sam Gilmour (AUS)
2014 - Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA)
2013 - David Gilmour (AUS)
2012 - Josh Junior (NZL)
2011 - Jordan Reece (AUS)
2010 - Dave Perry (USA)
2009 - Anna Tunicliffe (USA)
2008 - Simon Minoprio (NZL)

www.detroitcup.com

Harken International Boat Show Schedule
Harken is gearing up for the upcoming boat show season. We will be presenting new and updated products designed to make every moment you spend on the water a great one. Some of our fall and winter shows include:

- Southampton International Boat Show, 15 - 24 September, 2017
- Grand Pavois - La Rochelle, 27 September - 02 October, 2017
- Monaco Yacht Show, 27 - 30 September, 2017
- Hanseboot Hamburg International Boat Show, 28 October - 05 November, 2017
- METS, 14 - 16 November, 2017
- Nautic - Salon Nautique Paris, 2 - 10 December, 2017
- Toronto International Boat Show, 12 - 21 January, 2018
- Vancouver International Boat Show, 17 - 21 January, 2018
- Helsinki International Boat Show, 09 - 18 February, 2018
- Wind and Water Warsaw Boat Show, 15 - 19 March 2018

Come to a show near you. Ask a Harken representative to see what's new including our new Element line of forged aluminum blocks. Harken...Element...At The Front this season.

harken.com

Yacht once owned by New Zealand's wealthiest man being restored
Click on image to enlarge.

Andrew Barnes, a keen sailor, spotted Ariki in late 2016 and decided to restore her.

A historic Auckland racing yacht is being restored to her former glory after years of being left to rot in the Hauraki Gulf.

The 113-year-old Ariki, known for being the fastest yacht in Auckland from 1904 to 1938, had been out of service for nearly a decade when a Waiheke couple spotted her at Bayswater Marina on the North Shore in 2016.

Waiheke residents Charlotte Lockhart and Andrew Barnes purchased the abandoned yacht in December 2016 and have spent the past four months restoring her.

Ariki was 95 per cent water-logged and rotten in places, Lockhart said.

"But, Ariki was too special for New Zealand's nautical history to let her turn into rubble," Lockhart said.

For more than 30 years Ariki dominated first class Auckland yacht racing until the appearance of the yacht Ranger in 1938.

Ariki also passed through the hands of many iconic New Zealanders including Alfred Nathan from LD Nathan & Company who set up some of New Zealand's biggest retail stores such as Woolworths and the Goodfellow family, once the richest family in New Zealand.

Ariki, which means chief or leader in te reo Maori, was built in Auckland in 1904 by the Logan Brothers for Charles Horton of the Horton publishing family as a combined racing and cruising yacht.

Ariki is 17 meters long and features a spoon-bowed and counter-stern with her hull planked in copper-fastened kauri.

When completed, Ariki will be moored at the Maritime Museum in Auckland so the public can visit her. -- Shani Williams in Stuff.co.nz

www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/

International Canoe World Championship
Pwllheli Sailing Club, Wales, UK: Wales is home to a strong IC fleet including 3 times world champion Robin Wood.

We are fortunate to have the championships hosted at the newly built Plas Heli, a world class sailing facility that hosted the Fireball and 29er World championships in 2015, and ran the successful Europa Cup and UK championships this summer.

Sailing will take place in Tremadog Bay which provides fantastic sailing conditions with limited tidal currents and steady winds just a short sail from the shore, with the backdrop of Snowdonia - a National Park.

Second day of racing for the 2017 International Canoe Worlds at Pwllheli, and Chris Maas of the USA stays top of the leaderboard after two more races.

Chris Maas from the Lopez Sound SC won the first race of the day, finishing ahead of Alistair Warren with Gareth Caldwell taking third.

In the second race (R4) Willy Clark of the USA, who missed the first day's racing, was the winner ahead of Robin Wood with Maas in third.

Overall Maas leads by four points from Wood with Caldwell another five points back in third. -- Gerald New, www.sailweb.co.uk

Top five, new rules class:
1. Chris Maas, USA, 7 points
2. Robin Wood , GBR, 11
3. Gareth Caldwel, GBR, 17
4. Alistair Warren, GBR, 20
5. Mike Fenwick, GBR, 28

Top five, asymmetric class:
1. Stephen Bowen, GBR, 5 points
2. Andy Gordon, GBR, 8
3. Phil Allen, GBR, 12
4. John Robson, GBR, 15
5. Ben Rogers, GBR, 23

icworlds2017.com

Laser Radial Worlds
Medemblik, Netherlands: The first day of racing for the Radial World Championships at Medemblik was delayed due to light winds.

After two races for the women, Kim Pletikos (3,2) of Slovinia tops the leaderboard with five points.

The 100 competitors raced in two flights with race wins going to Brenda Bowskill (1,16) CAN and Isebella Bertold (1,25) CAN in the first races, and to Monika Mikkola (15,1) FIN and Isebella Maegli (15,1) GUA in the second.

For the men two races were completed. -- Gerald New, www.sailweb.co.uk

Top five women after two races:
1. Kim Pletikos, SLO, 5 points
2. Evi Van Acker, BEL, 7
3. Svenja Weger, GER, 10
4. Dolores Moreira Fraschini, URU, 12
5. Maria Erdi, HUN, 12

Top five men after two races:
1. Andrew Godoy, BRA, 5 points
2. Alfonso Fernandez, ESP, 8
3. Daniil Krutskikh, RUS, 13
4. Marco Villani, ITA, 24
5. Axel Rahm, SWE, 25

www.laserradialworlds.com

In Praise of Flexibility
Is there now the critical mass needed to get a bit more ambitious with some new formats for international offshore events?

In October 2008 I wrote on the TP52 Class website a news item about the long coastal race of the 2008 TP52 World Championship, at the time perfectly hosted by the Calero family and sailed from their marina Puerto Calero in Lanzarote. The title of the report was: FUN, FUN, FUN, 53nm in 4 hours 35 minutes! The crews and boats had a blast, I quote: 'After yesterday's short coastal race, the 14-strong TP52 fleet sailed the long one, approximately 53nm, in well under 5 hours under conditions that offered accidents, failures, disqualifications and lots of emotion. The northern breeze blew with an intensity of 20 to 25 knots throughout the race and gusts reached 35 knots on the western coast of the island.'

We were all pretty tired after the race, whether sailor or organiser, but not that exhausted not to have a beer or two at the event's social area. It was a fleet full of big names - many are still racing in the class today, like Vasco Vascotto and Terry Hutchinson. Others moved on or pay us occasional visits, like Russell Coutts, Dean Barker, Paul Cayard and Jochen Schümann. Wonderful memories drift by when I see owner's names like King Harald, Pedro Mendonça, John Cook, Torbjorn Tornqvist, José Cusi…

Ten years later much has changed and for sure the boats are a lot faster now but I cannot imagine I will write a race commentary again under the same header. Simply announcing a 53-mile race would cost me my job and setting off towards 3m waves in a breeze peaking at 35kt would label me close to insane. Yet 10 years ago I was just describing the mood after the race: Fun, Fun, Fun.

Rob Weiland's full editorial in the August issue of Seahorse:
www.seahorsemagazine.com

The Challenge of the Nord Stream Race
Some young, talented sailors are about to undergo one of the biggest challenges of their lives as they set sail in the 1,000 nautical mile offshore race, the Nord Stream Race this Saturday.

While all the competitors taking part in the race are expert sailors in some form of the sport, many of them are completely new to sailing out of sight of land and concentrating for hours and days at a time. The five teams are made up of the five championship winning clubs who won the 2016 edition of their respective National Sailing Leagues.

The National Sailing League racing is a series of short, sharp 10-minute windward-leeward races held in identical J/70 sportsboats. Now it is up to these same sailors to learn the ropes on the much bigger and much powerful ClubSwan 50 high-performance yachts that will contest the Nord Stream Race, a passage through the Baltic Sea which starts on 26 August from Kiel in Northern Germany. From there it's a stage race to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and the finish in St Petersburg in Russia, where the fleet is expected to arrive on 6 September.

The five competing yacht clubs are the Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club from Germany, Frederikshavn Sejlklub from Denmark, Cape Crow Yacht Club from Sweden, Nylandska Jaktklubben from Finland and Lord of the Sail - Europe from Russia. Each of the five clubs is sending a crew with ten of their best sailors. -- Andy Rice

www.nord-stream-race.com

2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards nomination period open
World Sailing is inviting nominations for the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards.

There are two categories - male and female - and sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport.

Nominations can be made by anyone but the sailor (or crew). Those nominated for the 2017 Award must have performed an "outstanding achievement in the sport of sailing between 19 September 2016 and 31 August 2017".

Click here to nominate a sailor (or crew) for the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year.

Nominations must be received by World Sailing no later than 19.00 UTC on Friday 1 September 2017.

World Sailing will draw up a shortlist of nominations with the highest and most inspirational achievers going on to become the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Nominees.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 7 November 2017 at the World Sailing Awards Ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

www.sailing.org

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2004 Marten 49 - "Vineta" 385,000 EUR. Located in Hong Kong

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sampearson@ancasta.com
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RP 78 maxi "Capricorno". Located in La Spezia, Italy.

Reichel-Pugh design, McConaghy carbon construction, Sydney Hobart and Cape Town-Rio winner as Morning Glory.

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The Last Word
Censorship is advertising paid by the government. -- Federico Fellini

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Hanuman Steals the Show
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Hanuman, skippered and steered by local ace Ken Read with his brother Brad among the afterguard, stole the show on a spectacular opening day of the first ever J Class World Championship on the waters of Newport, Rhode Island where J Class yachts made their America's Cup debut way back in 1930 and where the Reads cut their teeth in competitive sailing.

Hanuman lead from the first mark around a 20 nautical miles 'Navigators Course'. When challenged by the newest J Class yacht in the fleet Svea, which is guided by wily America's Cup Stars & Stripes veterans Peter Isler and Tom Whidden, Hanuman fought back downwind with smooth, well executed manoeuvres. When they took their well earned winning gun, Hanuman were extending into the mist, stepping clear of a spirited scrap over places second to sixth.

The opening race of the inaugural J Class World Championship delivered it all, spectacle, majesty, close competition over a decent length course and just enough drama. The New York Yacht Club race team took full advantage of the forecast for a building, pre frontal breezes to sail a spectacular, tight coastal course up and back under the Newport-Jamestown bridge, checking off in turn historical local landmarks made famous over the dozen editions of the America's Cup raced here, entrancing the huge spectator fleet and treating the viewers who crowded the headlands and car parks that fringed the course to the close, spectacular competition they turned out for.

The fleet of six J Class yachts revelled in the perfect flat water and brisk 14-18kt SW'ly breezes.

J Class World Championship Race 1
1. Hanuman, 2h 8m 13s
2. Svea, 2h 10m 15s
3. Lionheart, 2h 10m 20s
4. Topaz, 2h 11m 37s
5. Ranger, 2h 12m 4s
6. Vesheda, 2h 10m 17s

jclassyachts.com

Finn Silver Cup
Balatonfured, Hungary: The only young sailor at the U23 Finn World Championship in Balatonfured with Olympic experience, Facundo Olezza, from Argentina, made some sense of the chaotic wind conditions on the first day to build a 13 point margin after three very tricky races were sailed.

The British sailors, Henry Wetherell and Hector Simpson are second and third, though the points are very close. The race wins on the opening day went to Olezza, Ondra Teply from Czech Republic and Arkadiy Kistanov from Russia.

The wind on Lake Balaton today was kind of what everyone expected. But it still surprised with its variability, ranging from 2-15 knots and shifting 40-90 degrees at times. Several times the sailors were seen doing straight line tacks.

After a bronze medal last year Olezza has since put an Olympics under his belt and was clearly making good decisions today without taking too many risks. A lot of sailors picked up starting penalties, Rule 42 penalties or took too big a risk on the course and paid the price with a high score.

2017.finnsilvercup.org

Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second?
Big warm seas, consistent trade winds, challenging round the buoys racing and the best shoreside parties in the Caribbean sum up the phenomenon that is Antigua Sailing Week. Preceded by an optional race, the Peters & May Round Antigua Race featuring 52 nm of perfect pre-ASW tune up for new teams, followed by five days of racing off Antigua's south coast and interrupted by a beach day, this is a regatta not to miss.

Classes include Big Boat, Racing, Sport Boat, Cruising, Multihull, Bareboat and Club Class. Daily prize givings at Antigua Yacht Club are legendary as is the final awards party hosted in historic UNESCO-accredited Nelson's Dockyard.

Bragging rights, the best silverware and a photo op with the Queen's representative, the Governor General mean you get the best of all worlds - professionally run race management, incredible history and Caribbean beaches, parties and English Harbour Rum.

Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.

www.sailingweek.com

Palermo Montecarlo 2017
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi, carloborlenghi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

The Palermo Montecarlo Regatta started Monday morning at 12.00 from Mondello Gulf, next to Circolo della Vela Sicilia (organizer of the Regatta in cooperation with Yacht Club de Monaco and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda). At the start there was a lively but irregular 12 knot wind from the northwest, expected to increase during the course toward Ustica. Enroute to Ustica, Junoplano 60', a veteran of the race, dismasted.

Half of the fleet of this XIII edition comes from nine countries: USA, Monaco, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hungary and Italy (24 boats out of 41 at the start). The favored boats are IMCOA 60' Malizia II of Pierre Casiraghi, who sails for the Yacht Club de Monaco (skipper German Boris Herrmann, already protagonist of many regattas with Giovanni Soldini) and US boat Lucky 63' of Byron Ehrhart, who chose to run with a small crew (only 12 people on board) as the forecast is for light wind. This project of Reichel-Pugh defends the colours of New York Yacht Club.

For the records, Lucky was the first one to turn around the buoy, ahead of Leaps&Bounds and Jivaro.

Malizia II and Lucky are the most favourite boats to try to beat the record of the race, which since 2015 belongs to Esimit Europa 2: 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds. The new Gran Soleil 58' Leaps &Bounds of French owner Jean Philippe Blanpain (tactician Paolo Semeraro, ex-Olympic Finn sailor) and Buena Vista ICE 62 of owners Gigi and Beppe Pannarale, who defend the coulors of Circolo della vela Sicilia, are other boats to beat. The skipper is Alberto La Tegola, ex yachtsman of Olympic classes, today President of Regional Committee VIII Zone (from Puglia) of Italian Sailing Federation.

At present the boats are sailing along the coast of Sardinia (in Porto Cervo there will be a "gate"), later Corsica and at the end arrival in Principato of Monaco after 500 miles non-stop.

If the wind permits, the first yachts should be arrive in Montecarlo's harbour on Wednesday.

www.palermo-montecarlo.it

Strong Tides Divide Clipper Fleet
Strong tides running North have divided the fleet tactically overnight, with the front of the pack heading close inshore to seek faster routes.

Dale Smyth, Skipper of third placed team Dare To Lead, reported: "It was an interesting night with the front of the pack all deciding to head close inshore to Wales in order to escape the north flowing tide."

The gap between first and last place has widened over the last 24 hours, with 68 nautical miles separating the teams and a group of four teams pulling away from the pack. At the top of the leader board is Unicef which has crept four nautical miles ahead of Visit Seattle this morning despite sitting in second place overnight.

Dare To Lead and Sanya Serenity Coast are just two nautical miles behind and with the top four still in eyesight of each other, it is a closely fought battle as the teams head towards Northern France.

The changeable conditions faced by the fleet mean that frequent sail changes are still required which is physically demanding for crew.

Crew members on board Greenings have had a busy night with the most sail changes of the fleet. In his report today, Skipper David Hartshorn said: "An interesting few watches have passed. We have gone from our lightweight kite (Code 1) to Windseeker. From Windseeker, we went to Yankee 1 this afternoon and changed down to Yankee 2.

Overnight, some teams were rewarded for their persistence when encountering a pod of dolphins swimming amongst phosphorescent plankton, creating one of nature's most mesmerising light shows. Leg 1, the Atlantic Trade Winds Leg is 6,400nm long, the equivalent of ten Fastnet Races, and this morning, Skipper David Hartshorn was noting that they were just 1.7% of the way through the journey.

clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

Zhik 29er European Championship
The first day of the 2017 Zhik 29er European Championship got underway in Saint Pierre Quiberon, France with 179 29ers representing 24 nations.

After a quick 2 days of registration and equipment compliance and a lively Opening Ceremony, the sailors had an early start Tuesday with a 9:30am warning gun. Split into 4 fleets, the stiff morning breeze of 13-15 knots found one course completing 3 races, while the other fleet was only able to finish 2 with slowly dying winds ending in calm waters by 3pm.

www.29ereuropeans.org

Dutch East India Company ship Rooswijk finally gives up her secrets
Click on image to enlarge.

Ornate carved knife handles, glass bottles and large wooden seaman's chests are among the finds discovered on wreck of the Dutch East India Company ship, Rooswijk.

Dutch and British maritime archaeologists are in a race against time to recover and record as much as possible from the protected site.

The Rooswijk is threatened by currents and shifting sands, and an exploratory study of the wreck last year cemented the urgent need for the current excavation, which is happening throughout the summer.

Historic England, which manages the wreck on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said that never before had an execution of this scale been carried out on a Dutch East India Company wreck.

Maritime archaeologists are concentrating on excavating the storage rooms and living quarters in the stern of the ship.

Items such as large wooden seaman's chests, pewter jugs and spoons, glass bottles, ornately carved knife handles and personal items such as shoes have already been recovered from the wreck and brought to shore at Ramsgate where they are being conserved.

The Rooswijk sank on Goodwin Sands, off Kent, on 8 January 1740.

The ship was outward bound for Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) with a large cargo of silver ingots and coinage on board.

During the excavation, public open days and training sessions are being held in Ramsgate, where the extraordinary finds from the Rooswijk will be on display. -- Katy Strickland

www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/dutch-east-india-company-ship-rooswijk-archaeologists-discovery-58436

Seahorse September 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

World news
Ivor Wilkins loves a parade, Carlos Pich with a (complete) change of tone for the Barcelona World Race, Vincent Lauriot-Prevost and Patrice Carpentier race the Atlantic, the Joyon-Coville battle without end and Dobbs Davis watches the return of a wizard

Hard to win
Oracle Team USA design co-ordinator Scott Ferguson has never had any doubts about that

Incoming
But new rating office director and IRC supremo Dr Jason Smithwick has yet to decide...

Eight bells
A very tough month. Rob Weiland

Much ado about a lot
James Dadd looks at the (massive) task ahead

(Much) more than furlers
Beautiful sleepy port begat beautiful high tech

Moving on from Rio
America's Cup 35 wasn't June's only big event

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

Embracing Monohull Match Racing
Since the America's Cup shifted to catamarans, the World Match Racing Tour found itself at a crossroads. While it was now the dominant monohull match race championship in sailing, it offered no advancement to the America's Cup. The top sailors with higher aspirations were now looking for catamaran skills.

The Tour, in its quest to restore order, reached out to Swedish Company Aston Harald AB, which manufactures the M32, a 32-foot carbon fibre racing catamaran. Aston Harald AB bought the Tour as part of a grand marketing scheme to sell boats, creating a new schedule of events that would now be held in M32s.

While I am of mixed opinion in seeing this elite professional match racing circuit used to help sell boats, I am concerned how the Tour remains sanctioned by World Sailing to award the World Match Racing Championship title to its season champion. With nearly all match racing done in monohulls, now the World title has detached itself from its base. Hmm…

Craig Leweck's full editorial: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com

Extreme Sailing Series Cardiff 26 - 28 August
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend the Extreme Sailing Series visits Cardiff for the sixth year running for the sixth Act of the 2017 season, as the headline act of the Cardiff Harbour Festival. The enclosed bay provides the ideal Stadium Racing venue for spectators to get up-close and personal with the racing from all sides.

As well as the on-water action there is plenty of on-shore entertainment around the bay and in the free entry Fan Zone, open from 26 - 28 August, including food and drink stalls, the official Zhik merchandise shop, a children's entertainment zone, Challenge Wales Tall Ship tours, BMX demonstrations from Team Inspire and stalls from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Cardiff White Water Centre and Cardiff Council.

VIP ticket information www.extremesailingseries.com

Industry News
As a management team, we had to decide if we wanted to invest in the technology or not. The bet was about a 20 million dollar bet," said North Sails COO, Dan Neri, reflecting back on North's decision to purchase an idea that eventually led to today's most advanced sailmaking product: North Sails 3Di. Dan worked alongside lead sail designer, JB Braun, and many others among the North team to turn an idea into a game-changing sail technology. Feedback from clients and professional sailors was key to the development cycle. In this video we hear from Cameron Appleton, who speaks from experience using 3Di sails in a variety of sailing circles - from small boat one design to superyachts.

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Harken named an Official Supplier to New York Yacht Club's nnew IC37 One-Design Class

Harken will supply winches, blocks, deck hardware, traveler, and Battcar systems to the new class. Production on the IC37 is already underway at Westerly Marine of Santa Ana, California.

The boats are designed by Mills Design with support from KND-Sailing Performance and SDK Structures. A fleet of twenty 37-footers, all owned and maintained by the New York Yacht Club, will be available for the 2019 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. Sails are to be designed and built by North Sails. Spars will be supplied by Southern Spars. Melges Performance Sailboats will market the design to owners outside the New York Yacht Club and assumes responsibility for event management.

harken.com

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Denmark's Elvstrøm Sails A/S has acquired its French sibling, Elvstrøm Sails Sarl, effective August 28, 2017. As part of the transaction, Elvstrøm will also take over the majority of the French company's employees.

The deal will unify the two Elvstrøm companies after more than 50 years' separation and create the second biggest sailmaker in the world, says the company.

Elvstrøm Sails Sarl will continue its activities as a 100% owned subsidiary of Elvstrøm Sails A/S, with no interruption for its customers.

Elvstrøm Sails has been designing and building high-quality sails for more than 60 years. With one of the largest sail lofts in Europe, the company serves many leading boat manufacturers, boat yards, and private customers.

https://plus.ibinews.com

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As a result of increased demand for its products in foreign markets, Poland's Scandinavia Yachts is to build a new production hall at its shipyard in Skarzysko Kamienna in the central Polish region of Swietokrzyskie.

Piotr Kowalczyk, responsible for export sales at Scandinavia Yachts, told local website Strefabiznesu.info that the company has built around 70 yachts to date. The new production hall, which will have a total surface area of 1,500sq m, will allow Scandinavia Yachts to further increase its output capacity. The value of the expansion project was not disclosed by the firm.

The boatbuilder's product range includes both sailing and motor yachts.

As much as 95% of Poland's yacht output is for export, predominantly to other EU member states, according to the country's marine industry association Polboat.

Scandinavia Yachts has dealers in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

https://plus.ibinews.com

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The quest of the first disabled sailor to complete the Vendee Globe has been strengthened. Hannah Stodel, three times world champion and four times Paralympian has officially launched her Vendee Globe 2020 campaign with support from A C Marine & Composites.

"The HSR team are driven, ambitious and innovative; qualities which we believe mirror ACM&C's fundamental principles," said Alex Newton, director and head of manufacturing at ACM&C.

The company will act as official composites consultant and boat modifier; custom fitting modifications and providing 'never-before-seen technology' to accommodate Ms Stodel's requirements as a disabled athlete.

www.boatingbusiness.com

* From Lars Kessel:

I wonder if you can assist: I can not find any information which team in the Volvo is sailing which boat from the 2014 edition. Is Team Brunel sailing their "old" boat, who got the winning Abu Dhabi boat, who got the new build and which one is still unallocated? * From Lou Newlands, Volvo Ocean Race:

Here is the info you requested.

1. Dongfeng > Dongfeng
2. SCA > 8th entry if confirmed
3. Brunel > Brunel
4. Alvimedica > Vestas 11th Hour Racing
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing > Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag
6. Vestas > Turn The Tide On Plastic
7. MAPFRE > MAPFRE
8. New boat > AkzoNobel

Featured Brokerage
1997 Farr 30 One Design 'Barking Mad'. 99,900.00 USD. Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Barking Mad is a world championship level Farr 30 that has been full-time professionally maintained to the highest degree with no expense spared to keep it in better-than-new condition.Complete details, full listing and photos are at www.staggyachts.com Price Reduced to $99,900 - an incredible boat for that price.

Excellent choice for ORC Racing - sister Farr 30’s were 2nd and 3rd overall in Class C at the 2017 ORC World Championship in Trieste, Italy

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Tink Chambers
Stagg Yachts
tink@staggyachts.com
+1.410.268.1001

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2017 Libertist 850

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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hello@libertist.eu
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K36 - Samurai

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+81 (0) 46 884 4141
+81 (0) 46 884 4142
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See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Whoever after due and proper warning shall be heard to utter the abominable word "Frisco", which has no linguistic or other warrant, shall be deemed guilty of High Misdemeanour, and shall pay into the Imperial Treasury as penalty the sum of twenty-five dollars. -- Emperor Norton

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Melges 32 World Championship | Hanuman Extend Their World Championship Lead in Newport | J Class Battle for the Kohler Cup | A new breed of carbon racer | Clipper Fleet Tackling The Bay Of Biscay | Bearing Update 4 after Nacra 17 Executive Call - Tuesday August 22, 2017 | With Karine Fauconnier injured, Lalou Roucayrol recruits Alex Pella | Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 2018 Online Registration Open | Early morning start for 29ers | Rough Going for Ida Lewis Distance Race Fleet | Why Handicapping Sail Materials Is A Material Mistake | Featured Brokerage

Melges 32 World Championship
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Cala Galera, Italy: The first day of the 2017 Melges 32 Boero World Championship in Cala Galera, Italy hosted by Circolo Nautico e della Vela Argentario has concluded with two races, leaving the fleet to bask in Russian colors.

Pavel Kuznetsov's TAVATUY with Evgeny Neugodnikov as tactician won both races today. He and his team earned a perfect score in the 10-12 knots of breeze out of the Northwest, which unmistakably reveals their intention, not to mention their potential. Although the event is quite young, they have confirmed that they are the team to beat.

It was also a very positive day for the current 2017 Melges 32 World League leader, Giangicomo Serena di Lapigio's G.SPOT representing Monaco. He submitted a 2-3 scoreline to now sit in second overall.

The fleet hits the water again for Day Two with forecasts stating light air conditions may prevail with a warning at 13.00 (Italy).

Top Five Results (Preliminary - After Two Races)
1. Pavel Kuznetsov/Evgeny Neugodnikov, TAVATUY; 1-1 = 2
2. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, G.SPOT; 2-3 = 5
3. Andrea Lacorte/Gabriele Benussi, VITAMINA AMERIKANA; 5-4 = 9
4. Edoardo Pavesio/Manuel Weiller Vidal, FRA MARTINA; 3-7 = 10
5. Andrea Ferrari/Pietro Pietro Sibello, SPIRIT OF NERINA; 6-5 = 11

Full results: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=4192

Hanuman Extend Their World Championship Lead in Newport
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

After winning Tuesday's 20 nautical miles opening race, Hanuman paired an initial fourth place to victory in the second of the two windward-leeward races today. They open up their leading margin at the J Class World Championship in Newport RI to three points ahead of the consistent Lionheart which has scored now three third places.

Although Hanuman lead across the finish line at the conclusion of a tight first windward-leeward of the day, so closely were the chasing pack snapping at their heels that they dropped to fourth on corrected time. Topaz won their first race ever when they held off Velsheda by just seven seconds, while Lionheart's margin for third over Hanuman was just two seconds.

There was not as much doubt in the second contest. After breaking clear of Velsheda which were overlapped with them at the first windward mark they gradually eked out their lead to finish one minute and 17 seconds ahead of the championship's sole 'original' J Class.

The SW breeze came in on cue at between nine and 14kts, the second race starting at 1535hrs was the windier of the two. There were more than enough shifts in wind direction and pressure to keep the contests tight and even.

For Thursday, the third racing day of the first ever J Class World Championship, the forecast is for lighter airs before the breezes are set to strengthen once more for Friday and Saturday.

Results after three races:
1. Hanuman, 6 points
2. Lionheart, 9
3. Velsheda, 10
4. Topaz, 11
5. Svea, 12
6. Ranger, 15

www.jclassyachts.com

J Class Battle for the Kohler Cup
The largest fleet of J Class yachts has assembled for their first-ever World Championship this week. Six yachts will engage in a five-day battle of beauty and brawn in the waters off Newport, Rhode Island. Per class rules, all of the yachts racing are original J Class designs using the most advanced boat building and equipment technology. While considered Superyachts, at North Sails we think of the J's as a Grand Prix class because the teams are sailing as aggressively as if they were on a TP52. Many of the teams have recently upgraded to 3Di RAW, the lightest, highest performance sail that has been smashing records and filling trophy cases.

In addition to the World Champion title, the fleet is also competing in the final act of the Kohler Cup, a trophy named in memory of Terry Kohler, the former owner of North Sails, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. The Kohler Cup is a season-long points championship awarded to a J Class yacht, presently Lionheart sits on top of the leaderboard with 14.5 points. Velsheda and Hanuman follow closely behind with 14 and 13.5 points respectively. J Class Worlds is worth double points, so the win is up for grabs.

A new breed of carbon racer
For racing sailors seeking action packed, high level, fast performance, Grand Prix 40 footer style racing at a fraction of the cost, the BR31 offers similar features and feel.

This high-end, affordable, semi-custom racer, from Ben Rogerson Yacht Design has been optimized so you can compete under ORC or DLR, and as a highly competitive HP30 Class contender.

Designed for a maximum crew of seven, and packed with many of the features found at the top of the sport. The BR31 appeals to sailors seeking to make the step up from smaller sports boats, and those wanting a smaller and exciting alternative within IRC & ORC racing.

- High quality construction and British build
- Lightweight carbon fibre construction
- Fast competitive IRC & ORC racing
- Performance options available
- Estimated IRC Tcc: 1.14

www.bryd.uk/yacht-designs/br31

Clipper Fleet Tackling The Bay Of Biscay
As the fleet makes steady progress south past the UK and towards Northern France, Skippers and crew are focusing on the next challenge; the Bay of Biscay, notorious for violent storms and heavy seas.

Ahead of the fleet, the weather is changing somewhat. A new low moving southeast across the race track should reach the Portuguese coast by the weekend. Whilst it does not look particularly strong, it will provide several tactical options for the twelve teams.

Over the last 24 hours, positions continued to change on the leader board and 98 nautical miles now separates first placed Unicef from Greenings, in twelfth place, who selected a more westerly route as it entered the Celtic Sea yesterday.

The front four leaders, who broke away with the strong flowing tides in the Irish Sea, remain close, with 18 nautical miles separating Unicef, Sanya Serenity Coast, Visit Seattle and Dare To Lead.

clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

Bearing Update 4 after Nacra 17 Executive Call - Tuesday August 22, 2017
The new active lower bearings for the Nacra 17 are in production. By late Friday night (August 25) enough units for all those entered in the World Championships will have been produced. 3 machines are working almost 24 hours a day to accomplish the task.

This production run of bearings (for the Worlds fleet) is being produced in a batch process, unlike the prototype parts that were machined one by one. Therefore, all of the parts will become available at the same time on completion of the batch.

As a result all bearings will become available for distribution at the same time on Saturday (August 26). A representative from Nacra Sailing will fly to La Grande Motte on Saturday with as many bearings as required for distribution there. Separate arrangements will be made for teams not in La Grande Motte. Nacra Sailing will be in touch with all entrants to confirm delivery logistics.

With this note, we reaffirm that the 2017 Nacra 17 World Championship will be held in La Grande Motte, as planned from September 5-10, 2017. -- Rob Kothe

With Karine Fauconnier injured, Lalou Roucayrol recruits Alex Pella
Karine Fauconnier suffered an injury during a training session on the Multi 50 Arkema in July. She will not be able to take part in the Transat Jacques Vabre race alongside Lalou Roucayrol, who therefore has had to find a new co-skipper to replace her at very short notice. And the choice fell on the highly experienced Spaniard Alex Pella.

Lalou and Alex now have 80 days to get to know each other and become an effective team, ready to sail off from Le Havre on 5 November. Meanwhile, on land, Karine Fauconnier remains actively involved in the project, in charge of routing and weather strategy. In her words, "it's now a threesome we'll have to contend with"!

Changing a co-skipper less than three months before the start of a major event surely is not a comfortable situation. But Team Arkema Lalou Multi took the right course of action when Karine Fauconnier suffered an injury while training on the Multi 50. After setting off on a qualifying course despite being in pain, the skipper realized that she would not be able to take part in the Transat Jacques Vabre race under those conditions. "We're very sorry about this situation as the Lalou and Karine pair had already put a lot into this. They were working very well, and now we have to start all over again. But this was the wisest and most reasonable decision when it comes to the health of a sailor and the performance of a boat", explains Fabienne Baron-Roucayrol, team manager.

A highly experienced all-rounder, Alex has an impressive nautical CV and a superb record of achievements to his credit: three round-the-world races (one on a monohull, two on a multihull), joint holder of the Trophee Jules Verne with the IDEC Sport crew skippered by Francis Joyon, winner of the legendary Route du Rhum 2014 in Class40.

www.arkema.com

Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 2018 Online Registration Open
Online registration is open for the Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 29 Jan to 3 Feb 2018 at www.yachtscoring.com.

The event will open at Secret Harbour Marina in Mount Hartman Bay on Grenada's southeast coast with registration and skippers briefing, followed by two days of racing and the lay day. The calm protected bay of Secret Harbour has long been a favourite among sailors. The regatta will move around to Camper & Nicholsons Marinas Port Louis Marina at the entrance to St George's Harbour for more racing off Grand Anse Beach, parties and the grand finale at the Victory Bar.

Island Water World continues to be Title Sponsor for the fourth consecutive year and race day sponsors Mount Gay, Sea Hawk, Secret Harbour and Grenada Tourism Authority also continue their loyal support. Grenada Sailing Week is gearing up to make this edition an even more challenging and exciting racing event. So come along to the friendliest regatta in the Caribbean and 'Spice it up' in Grenada.

NoR is posted on our website www.grenadasailingweek.com

Sign up for our newsletter online
Email: info@grenadasailingweek.com
Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek
Twitter @grenadasailweek

Early morning start for 29ers
After a late night and the jury throwing out one race on the Charley course, ½ the fleet was sent to sea at 9:30am to re-sail the previous days race in a solid 8 knots. The remainder were released an hour later and all fleets then completed 3 races in 6-10 knots of steady breeze, once the sea breeze settled.

One more day of qualifying before the 179 boat fleet are separated into their final fleets.

Top ten results after six races, one discard:

1. Frederico Zampiccoli / Leonardo Chiste, ITA, 5 points
2. Nick Robins / Billy Vennis-Ozanne, GBR, 8
3. Theo Revil / Gautier Guevel, FRA, 11
4. Oscar Engstrom / Hugo Westberg, SWE, 14
5. Benjamin Jaffrezic / Leo Chauvel, FRA, 14
6. Andrea Barrio Garcia / Nestor Vega, ESP, 20
7. Dmitry Lazdin / Dmitril Araslanov, RUS, 20
8. Elias Odrischinsky / Oliver Silen, FIN, 21
9. Kasper Nordenram / Axel Pantzare, SWE, 23

Full results

29ereuropeans.org

Rough Going for Ida Lewis Distance Race Fleet
Newport Rhode Island, USA: The weather started out gloomy, then got downright nasty for the 13th edition of the Ida Lewis Distance Race, which started Friday, August 18 off Fort Adams State Park in Newport, R.I.

A forecast calling for storms to pass over the race course during the night convinced seven of the original 40 entrants to drop out prior to the start for six classes (IRC, PHRF Spinnaker A, PHRF Spinnaker B, PHRF Cruising Spinnaker, Doublehanded and Multihull).

Of the remaining 33 teams, an additional ten were forced to retire due to damaged equipment or other problems incurred during multiple squalls that left memorable impressions and their calling cards of driving rain and winds gusting 40+ knots.

"It was biblical," said Brian Cunha (Newport), who took overall honors in PHRF division and won his 11-boat PHRF Class A with a crew comprised primarily of local sailors. "It was just one cell after another, and it was raining so hard you couldn't have your face to the wind, because it hurt so much. We were waiting for Noah's Ark to come floating by."

The two PHRF Spinnaker classes and the IRC class sailed a 150 nautical mile course that took them to Buzzard's Bay Tower, past Block Island to a government mark off Montauk Point, back to Buzzard's Bay Tower and then back to Block Island before heading home. The first storm hit on the first stretch to Buzzard's Bay Tower, making for a long, wet, yet exhilarating night of competition.

The first to finish the race was the modified Volvo 70 Warrior (formerly Camper), co-skippered by Stephen Murray, Sr. and Stephen Murray, Jr. of Metairie, Louisiana. Finishing at 12:41 a.m. on Saturday, Warrior not only took line honors but also topped IRC Class, which started with ten boats and finished with seven. Second to cross the line after Warrior was Hendrikus Wisker's (Round Hill, Virginia) Swan 55 Haerlem, in Cruising Spinnaker class, at 4:37 a.m. The team, along with three others in its class, sailed a shorter 107 nm course.

Top Three Results

IRC (10 Boats)
1. Warrior, Volvo 70, Stephen Murray, Jr., Metairie, LA, USA - 1 ; 1
2. White Rhino 2, Carkeek 47, Todd Stuart, Key West, FL, USA - 2 ; 2
3. Lucy Georgina, Xp44, Peter Bacon, Noank, CT, USA - 3 ; 3

PHRF - Spinnaker A (11 Boats)
1. Irie 2, Kerr 55, Brian Cunha, Newport, RI, USA - 1 ; 1
2. Vamoose, J 120, Bob Manchester, Barrington, RI, USA - 2 ; 2
3. Temptress, Taylor 41, John Gowell, East Greenwich, RI, USA - 3 ; 3

PHRF - Spinnaker B (9 Boats)
1. Young American YCC (Youth), J 105, Young American Jr. Big Boat Team, Rye, NY, USA - 1 ; 1
2. COCO, Swan 36, Ian Scott, Newport, RI, USA - 2 ; 2
3. Mischief, Lyman-Morse 40, David Schwartz, Bristol, RI, USA - 3 ; 3

PHRF - Cruising Spinnaker (4 Boats)
1. Haerlem, Nautor Swan 55, Hendrikus Wisker, Round Hill, VA, USA - 1 ; 1
2. Kiska, Hanse 445, Will Richmond, Hopkinton, MA, USA - 2 ; 2
3. Gallop, Hanse 430, Dennis Ferreira, Holliston, MA, USA - 3 ; 3

PHRF - Doublehanded (5 Boats)
No boats in this division completed the race

Multihull (1 Boat)
No boats in this division completed the race

www.ilyc.org/long-race

Why Handicapping Sail Materials Is A Material Mistake
Sailing is not golf. Handicapping a sailboat race is a silly, silly idea: Length, weight, sail area, wetted surface are difficult to compare fairly. Nothing comes close to a simple "three-stroke handicap" that captures the subtle mix of tools that make a boat fast or slow. But, still, we sailors want to have fun, we don't want confusing rules and penalties that are faulty in basis. Mostly we want to collect our friends and all our different boats, together at the same party, and race.

It's what we do.

Today, we're going to rant about the especially gnarly problem of rating penalties on sails inventory. We'll tell you now, we see no logic for imposing penalties based on sail fabric. Leveling the regatta playing field is simply not that easy. Let's bring some rationale to the current state of affairs regarding handicap racing and sails.

Overburdened Racing Rules

Classic and SOT racing organizations have over-burdened race penalties over the years. There appears to be two issues around sails that race committees believe should affect rating: The color and aesthetic of the fabrics used for vintage and classic boats; and, concerns over performance gains from higher tech, modern materials.

Rules like the International Mediterranean Committee, or CIM, rating system show what happens when the issues with sails are misunderstood by racing committees. Widely used in Europe, CIM seems to have employed a team of undergrad law students to draft up its Notices of Race. You'll find detailed handicap penalties, it's like the worst translation of Monopoly rules, or one of those you-tube bad-lip-reading videos for a beer pong frat party. Confounding!

Further reading of CIM rules reveal ever-more granular definitions for all kinds of things, particularly sail materials and rating adjustments for these materials; all this renders up a hazy, hard-to-follow logic that has led to some frankly nutty regulations. Of many terrible examples for abuse in regulations is in the Panerai series regattas that flatly prohibit (!) modern materials in classic yachts. Further, some regattas adapt parts of the rule and prescribe boats a separate class created solely for boats carrying modern sails, as if curing some sort of affliction. And, we say, 'What?'

Full editorial from Stephens Waring Yacht Design: stephenswaring.com

Featured Brokerage
1997 Volvo 60 (modified) - Bou Dragon. 230000 EUR. Located in The Hague, Netherlands.

Launched originally as "Silk Cut", she quickly established herself as the fastest ocean racer on the water and held the 24hr record for a number of years. In more recent times, she was known as “SEB" and now "Bou Dragon", where she has been meticulously maintained and modernised by her current owner.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Auckland
sampearson@ancasta.com
+44 2380 016582
+64 277733717

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2010 PARADOX 62ft cruiser-racer trimaran. 990,000 EUR. Located in Bermuda.

One of the most unique sailboats launched in the past five years, Paradox is a unique cruiser / racer trimaran designed by the legendary design team of Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabaret. Built by Marsaudon Composite , using the moulds of Loick Peyron’s highly successful ORMA racing trimaran Fujifilm

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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2007 IMOCA 60 COMPAGNIE DU LIT - BOULOGNE BILLANCOURT. 450,000 EUR. Enroute to France.

A fine racing yacht that has proven its capabilities in all kinds of conditions, COMPAGNIE DU LIT is arriving in Australia in the coming days and will be available for viewing over the Christmas period.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
There was madness in any direction, at any hour. You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. -- Raoul Duke

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Lionheart Draws Level | Lucky (USA) Wins XIII Palermo-Montecarlo Offshore Race | Harken Named an Official Volvo Ocean Race Supplier | First look at the next Volvo Ocean Race boat design | Perfect conditions as the hosts 'win' the annual Bramble Bank cricket match! | Kuznetsov Refuses to Relinquish 2017 Melges 32 Worlds Lead | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Shattered Finger Leaves Tokyo Prospect With Big Call | Dalton survives 100mph Isle of Man Classic TT crash | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Lionheart Draws Level
The sizeable spectator fleet on the waters off Newport, Rhode Island were treated to another pair of engaging, exciting races at the inaugural J Class World Championship, witnessing the return of one of the pre-regatta title favourites, Lionheart.

Already counting three third places Lionheart were prowling, poised only three points behind regatta leaders Hanuman going into today's Races 4 and 5 of the championship. The team lead by Bouwe Bekking won the first windward-leeward and then battled to third place in a second race which saw Hanuman, skippered and steered by Kenny Read, dramatically penalised during the top mark approach of the second beat.

Hanuman's resulting fifth costs them their clear overall lead in the no-discard championship series which completes Saturday and it now sees them tied on 13 points with Lionheart, winners of both significant J Class regattas during the America's Cup in Bermuda in June.

With the owner driven Lionheart winning today's first contest and Topaz the second, half of the six boat fleet have now scored a race win so far. With local Newport ace Tony Rey aiding Ross MacDonald with big picture strategy, Topaz's second race victory of the regatta promotes them to third overall, four points off the lead.

It was a better day for the mighty Ranger holding fourth overall, returning a 3,2 to keep them ahead of the newest team on the blocks, Svea but only on countback.

Race 4
1. Lionheart
2. Hanuman
3. Ranger
4. Svea
5. Topaz
6. Velsheda

Race 5
1. Topaz
2. Ranger
3. Lionheart
4. Svea
5. Hanuman
6. Velsheda

Overall after five races, no discard
1. Hanuman 13pts, (1,4,1,2,5)
2. Lionheart 13pts (3,3,3,1,3)
3. Topaz 17pts (4,1,6,5,1)

www.jclassyachts.com

Lucky (USA) Wins XIII Palermo-Montecarlo Offshore Race
Photo credit Carloni-Raspar / CVS. Click on image to enlarge.

Montecarlo, Monaco: Lucky immediately the lead of the fleet in Mondello Gulf, and at the end it won the XIII Palermo-Montecarlo. Lucky's owner Bryon Ehrhat from Chicago, will take home, to the New York Yacht Club, the prestigious Tasca d'Almerita Trophy which is given for line honours of this important Mediterranean offshore regatta.

Lucky's official finishing time was 06.49.03, which means in total of 66h 46min 03 sec of sailing, well off Esimit Europa 2's record of 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds established in 2015.

This is the second year in a row that a member of the New York Yacht Club has won the Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta.

"Other members of our club suggested we take part in this regatta and they were right - Ehrhart said very happily at the finishing line -: the race is really beautiful yet tough, it is important not to lose concentration.

We had three stops during the race but in the end we managed to use our strategy. 24 miles from Montecarlo we stopped for the total lack of wind at 11.00 PM of last night and it was possible to go on only at the sunrise".

In this moment first boats are 60 miles from Montecarlo: Malizia II by Pierre Casiraghi (Boris Herrmann is the skipper and the helmsman) leads the leader group ahead of Tonnerre de Glen (72 miles) by Dominique Tian (FRA) and Leaps&Bounds (77 miles) by Jean Philippe Blanpain.

This XIII Palermo-Montecarlo has a fleet from nine Countries: USA, Monaco, Germany, Poland, Great Britain, France, Russia, Hungary and Italy.

www.yacht-club-monaco.mc

Harken Named an Official Volvo Ocean Race Supplier
As Official Suppliers, Harken will supply winches, pedestals, gearboxes, TTR2 blocks, traveler and Battcar systems to the Volvo Ocean 65 one-design fleet. As key members of the team in The Boatyard, the Harken Tech Team will once again service and maintain the supplied systems to ensure equipment aboard these identical race boats is in peak condition. We often say Harken is "At The Front".

Well, sometimes you'll find The Front inside a sweltering container in Cape Town with a fleet's worth of winch pinion bushings to be inspected, re-lubed or replaced. In this lap around the planet, boats can finish a two-week leg overlapped.

To help ensure a level playing field for these incredible sailors, there can be no compromises... so there will be no end to the Harken commitment.

www.harkenatthefront.com

First look at the next Volvo Ocean Race boat design
Just over three months ago, on 18 May 2017, Volvo Ocean Race CEO Mark Turner stood on a stage in the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg and announced that the question of whether the future of the race was monohull or multihull had been solved.

In fact, the Volvo Ocean Race had opted for both - and would design and build a one-design foil-assisted 60-foot (18.29 metre) monohull for the ocean legs, and a one-design 32-50 foot foiling catamaran (10-15 metre) for use inshore at the stopovers.

Now, with the 2017-18 edition already apace following a thrilling Leg Zero, work on the two new boats has been moving very fast in the background.

This week, the first mock up of the Guillaume Verdier-designed offshore monohull was revealed at the Boatyard in Lisbon

Verdier has now gathered his team around him, and they have been working hard on the hull lines. The design has developed in a way that will enable IMOCA 60 compatibility, making it convertible, relatively quickly and inexpensively, to a short-handed rules-compliant IMOCA boat for events like the solo Vendee Globe and two-up Barcelona World Race.

"We don't think there is any compromise to making a stand-alone Volvo Ocean Race boat comply with the IMOCA 60 rules. Although in Volvo mode, we will have another keel, we will have different rudders, foils, we will have a different rig on it," said Bice.

"So now, with the new two-year race cycle, a team can compete in an IMOCA event in between, maintaining profile for a sponsor and making it much easier for them to commit to two cycles of the Volvo Ocean Race. That's what we want to try and achieve.

www.volvooceanrace.com

Perfect conditions as the hosts 'win' the annual Bramble Bank cricket match!
Photo by Graham Nixon. Click on image to enlarge.

Hamble, Hampshire, UK: It was a case of weather perfect; dry, little wind and a beautiful sunrise as the teams from Hamble's Royal Southern Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club in Cowes met on the newly emerged 'island', the infamous Bramble Bank in the the central Solent, for the annual Bramble Bank cricket match.

So perfect were the conditions that they made up for the need to get out of bed at 05.00 to ensure the RSrnYC team was in the field by low water, scheduled for 06.50.

The high pressure system which brought the fine weather also depressed the tide, resulting in the the largest cricket 'field' seen for many years. The Island SC team batted first, but were eventually bowled out. The Royal Southern batsmen then punished the Islanders with several boundaries - which in this match means someone going for a swim to retrieve the ball.

By tradition, each club wins in turn each year and then hosts the opposition to breakfast, or tea, depending on the hour. So, as the tide began to reclaim its territory, everyone scrambled back into their RIBs and assorted craft and repaired back to the RSrnYC Clubhouse in Hamble for bacon and eggs.

The final score was 99-70!

www.royal-southern.co.uk

Kuznetsov Refuses to Relinquish 2017 Melges 32 Worlds Lead
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Cala Galera, Italy: The 2017 Melges 32 Boero World Championship hosted by Circolo Nautico e della Vela Argentario came to life today, adding three more fierce races to the scoreboard under slightly breezy conditions.

Standing firm at the top once again is Russia's Pavel Kuznetsov at the helm of TAVATUY (Evgeny Neugodnikov, tactician). His big risks, apparent aggressiveness and very few tactical mistakes paid off big as he further extended his lead by a couple of points.

Just behind are some of his biggest adversaries, including Edoardo Lupi and Massimo Pessina (Lorenzo Bressani, tactician) sailing TORPYONE. Their 6-2-1 daily score is a vast improvement over yesterday's 7-8, moving them up to second place.

The Corinthian division standings remain very close with little change from Day One. The all Italian teams of Martin Reintjes' CAIPIRINHA (Enrico Fonda, tactician) and Francesco Graziani's VITAMINA (Andrea Fornaro, tactician) are still first and second respectively.

Tomorrow will mark the third day of competition and for some, it will be the last opportunity to 'move up' as with the completion of Race Six, each team will discard their worst performance. The first warning on Friday will be 13.00 (Italy).

Top Five Results (Preliminary - After Five Races)
1. Pavel Kuznetsov/Evgeny Neugodnikov, TAVATUY; 1-1-2-5-10 = 19
2. Edoardo Lupi-Massimo Pessina/Lorenzo Bressani, TORPYONE; 7-8-6-2-1 = 24
3. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, G.SPOT; 2-3-4-14-2 = 25
4. Edoardo Pavesio/Manuel Weiller Vidal, FRA MARTINA; 3-7-8-1-7 = 26
5. Matteo Balestrero/Daniele Cassinari, GIOGI; 12-6-3-9-3 = 33

Full results

melges32.com

Seahorse September 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

THE 36th AMERICA'S CUP
And now it's all about what happens next...

Long shadow
The largely self-taught Doug Peterson brought Ganbare to the 1973 One Ton Cup and offshore yacht design was never the same again. Tim Jeffery remembers a good friend

Early signs
And Ivor Wilkins already knows a lot more than he is quite ready to let on... So watch this space

Commitment
And more commitment - Bouwe Bekking is about to start his 8th race around the globe (sic)

Ken Read
And 2017 really is 'the year of the record'

Ten years and growing
And this year it's the turn of Aarhus, Denmark

The 2018 Grand (Caribbean) Tour
Can't make up your mind, why not have all of it?

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Shattered Finger Leaves Tokyo Prospect With Big Call
One of Australia's premier Finn class sailors faces a critical few days as he weighs up the prospect of competing at the upcoming World Championships in Hungary with multiple fractures in one of his hands.

Former World No.1 Oliver Tweddell's early preparations for Tokyo 2020 were shaken by a peculiar injury during an Australian Sailing Team training session before Aarhus Sailing Week in Denmark in early August.

"I tacked, nothing out of the ordinary, I just came out of it and my finger was in a lot of pain," Tweddell said. "I couldn't move it and thought I'd broken it."

The Victorian withdrew from the event and returned to Australia, where the severity of the injury was revealed. His wedding ring finger was broken into seven pieces between the palm and the knuckle.

The former world No.1, who moved to Australia from England aged 15, is now relying on professional advice over whether competing on Lake Balaton could risk permanent damage to his hand.

"If I'm told it's not going to kill me, not going to cause me any permanent damage, I'll give it a crack," he said. "I want to race at the best level and it's been the peak event for me for the whole season.

www.2017finngoldcup.org

Dalton survives 100mph Isle of Man Classic TT crash
Emirates Team New Zealand's CEO, Grant Dalton has walked away from a high speed crash in the Isle of Man Classic TT on Wednesday (NZT).

The CEO of the champion America's Cup team survived a 100mph(160kmh) crash after his bike seized.

'I'd just cranked into a corner up at a place called The Verandah and the bike seized and just fired me off the road,' Dalton told Stuff from the Isle of Man, which is a Crown dependency in the Irish Sea, and a corporate tax haven.

'I wasn't hurt at all. I just slid for a decent distance and got up again. The bike was alongside me and we ended up in the same spot.

'It's not a big deal, it's all part of it ... it just goes with the turf.'

Dalton estimated he was doing around over 100mph at the time of the incident.

This is Dalton's third year of racing on the treacherous circuit which has claimed over 200 lives.

He failed to finish his first event in 2014, but in 2015 he qualified for the F1 Classic TT, completed the course and was awarded a prestigious finishers medal, clocking an average of 97mph for the four lap race - the speed includes time spent in the pits with a gravity fed fuel stop.

www.sail-world.com/Australia/

* From Butch Dalrymple Smith:

Steven Warings Yacht Design has completely missed the point of racing classic yachts.

Classic yacht regattas provide an opportunity for those passionate about classic yachts to get together and share their obsession to the delight of themselves, their crews, the spectators and the photographers who capture those stunning, emotive images we all love so much. Racing is the central theme that brings everyone together, and racing such disparate boats makes no sense without a handicapping rule.

All handicap rules exist to allow differing yachts to race together with each having a reasonably even chance of winning. The intention is to relate the yachts so that the results depend on the ability, energy (and luck?) of the skippers and crews. But the CIM rule has an additional role in preventing a truly authentic yacht suffering competitively against a compromised one. If you allow one square topped mainsail, one carbon fibre mast or one moulded sail without a prohibitive penalty, then everyone will have to follow suit if they are to have any chance of winning. Classic yachts have less intrinsic value if they are not in authentic condition in the same way that a painting loses its value if it has been restored carelessly. It is not really a question of cost, because anyone owning and campaigning a classic yacht cannot have a conventional idea of value for money. It is a question of keeping the spirit alive.

It is unfortunate that imperatives of safety and living in today's yachting environment mean that engines, synthetic cordage and even winches (perish the thought!) have found their way onto some classic yachts, but in this ever changing world it is good to know that the wind and the sea stay the same. So why not enjoy the beauty, the physicality and the fun of sailing yachts in the way they used to be sailed. It shows respect for the traditions of the sea and the sailors who have gone before. If we all sail under the same constraints, dealing with the same sailcloth, having to take the same care over our spars, then the racing will be all the closer and all the more fun. If SOT yachts want to pretend they are old fashioned, let them too race under the same constraints as the genuine oldies.

The CIM rule is not just about making the racing even, it also fulfils a valuable role in maintaining an important heritage, in allowing the owners of authentically restored and maintained yachts to race in a fair, gentlemanly, elegant and often fiercely competitive setting. I wouldn't want it any other way.

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2016 Ker 40+ - Magnum 4. 550000 GBP. Located in Hamble, UK

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Central Listing
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2010 JND 35. 120000 GBP. Located in Cowes, England.

A bandit IRC or ORC racer. Turn key project and ready to bring in the bread right from the very off.

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sampearson@ancasta.com
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The Last Word
The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for it or anything, but why don't we just take the safety labels off everything and let the problem solve itself? -- Adam Gorightly

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
J Class World Champions Lionheart | Clipper Race team diverts to Portugal following Skipper injury | Price Wins 10th Anniversary Detroit Cup | What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine | Kuznetsov Crowned 2017 Melges 32 World Champion | Zhik 29er European Championship | Germany wins opening leg of the Nord Stream Race into Denmark | New York YC Dethrones Noroton YC at Grandmasters Team Race | Cup capers continue in Auckland and Bermuda | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

J Class World Champions Lionheart
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

On the same Newport, Rhode Island waters where the legendary Ranger cleaned up 4-0 in 1937, the last time ever that the mighty J Class raced for the America's Cup, the first J Class World Champions are Lionheart, the owner driven Dutch-flagged modern day Ranger descendent.

Displaying solid consistency across all seven races sailed by the six boat inaugural world championship fleet, Lionheart won the world title by three clear points when they crossed the finish line second today, behind nearest rivals Hanuman.

Low risk strategies employed on a fast, fully optimised, well travelled owner driven J Class sailed by a well drilled close-knit crew which have mostly been together since 2011 prevailed. They finished no worse than third and only won one race, but they eclipsed the highly fancied Hanuman which only returned to J Class racing this season after a three year hiatus.

The shiny, black hulled Lionheart, JH1, was built 75 years after the original design was made as part of a family of designs by Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens for Ranger, the so called Super J which dominated in Newport. Over recent years the Palma, Mallorca based Lionheart has probably sailed at more regattas than her rivals, J Class and otherwise, in the pursuit of improvement, training and optimising religiously.

Overall after seven races
1. Lionheart 17pts (3,3,3,1,3,2,2)
2. Hanuman 20pts (1,4,1,2,5,6,1)
3. Ranger 24pts (5,6,4,3,2,1,3)
4. Topaz 27pts (4,1,6,5,1,5,5)
5. Svea 29pts (2,5,5,4,4,3,6)
6. Velsheda 30pts (6,2,2,6,6,4,4)

Terry Kohler Trophy for the 2017 J Class season - Lionheart
Corinthian Kings Cup - Lionheart

jclassyachts.com

Clipper Race team diverts to Portugal following Skipper injury
One of the twelve teams competing in the 40,000 nautical mile Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race is diverting to Porto, Portugal, after the team's Skipper suffered a serious injury to his left hand which requires emergency medical attention.

The incident occurred on board Greenings to Skipper David Hartshorn, 52, a British professional sailor, at approximately 23:00 BST last night on day seven of the opening leg of the Clipper Race, from Liverpool to Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Clipper Race Director Mark Light explains: "The incident occurred around 450 Nm off the Portuguese coast whilst David was leading a spinnaker drop in breezy conditions. Unfortunately, his left thumb became caught in one of the lines which has resulted in some serious damage.

The decision to divert to Porto was made quickly following assessment from the race's remote medical support physicians at PRAXES as well as the team's onboard medic, that an urgent operation is required.

The yacht is under good control between the Clipper Race Coxswain and Skipper and all other crew are safe and well. David himself is currently in very good spirits, being constantly monitored, and has been given morphine and antibiotics.

Due to the distance from Porto, which is estimated to be approximately two days sailing away, options are currently being examined for a medevac to be organised before the yacht reaches land.

The first teams are expected to cross the finish line in Uruguay around 20 September.

clipperroundtheworld.com

Price Wins 10th Anniversary Detroit Cup
Detroit, Michigan, USA: In a 3-1 performance in the Semi-Finals against Will Boulden (AUS) and 3-0 score in the Finals against Ryan Seago (USA), Harry Price (AUS) and his team of Murray Jones and Cameron Seagreen have successfully defended their title at the 10th Anniversary International Match Race Regatta for the Detroit Cup.

This was an impressive show of match racing talent by the to both the competitive field of 8 teams from 5 nations, as well as the crowds on shore of the event's host, Bayview YC. In conditions that ranged from light and fluky to moderate over the four days of competition on equally-matched Ultimate 20's, and all the while sailing in the strong currents of the Detroit River, Price and his Sydney-based DownUnder Racing team from the Cruising YC of Australia dominated the field, with only 2 losses in 21 matches in the first stage triple Round Robin.

The win makes Price the only two-time winner in the history of the event, and will help solidify the team's current 6th place ranking in the World Sailing Match Race Ranking List.

The Detroit Cup was the second stage of three events in the 2017 USA Grand Slam Series, with the next being later this week at the Oakcliff Sailing Center in Oyster Bay, NY.

Final Results, 2017 Detroit Cup:

1. Harry Price, AUS
2. Ryan Seago, USA
3. Will Boulden, AUS
4. Pearson Potts, USA
5. Chris Poole, USA
6. Andrei Nikolaev, RUS
7. Daniel Gill, IRL
8. Sylvain Escurat, FRA

www.detroitcup.com

Seahorse September 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Design - Welcome back
A long time ago (boys and girls) there was a fast type of yacht called the GS34. And now it looks like there is about to be another one...

Torque is cheap - Part I
Blue Robinson talks to Glenn Ashby - the champion gamer of the 35th America's Cup

Tomorrow's (IRC) design today
Bernard Nivelt has led the charge to lighter, faster IRC designs. And this is the fastest one yet...

One year on
It's not just the foiling multihulls racing ahead

Lifesaver
When you do need it you do need it to work

World Sailing - Some legacy
Give me a fast boat, any fast boat. Andy Rice

Paul Cayard - Grounding
America's Cup 36... some informed prediction

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Kuznetsov Crowned 2017 Melges 32 World Champion
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Cala Galera, Italy: For four days straight, Russia's Pavel Kuznetsov and tactician Evgeny Neugodnikov, with TAVATUY crew members Konstantin Besputin, Egor Koniukhovskii, Oleg Krivov, Alexander Patrushev, Anton Sergeev and Valeriy Zatsarinskiy declared that the 2017 Melges 32 Boero World Championship belonged to them.

Right up until the last, runner-up Edoardo Lupi and Massimo Pessina with tactician Lorenzo Bressani sailing TORPYONE gave every ounce of effort, leaving only two points of separation from the leader going into the final race, prompting a literal cut-throat start to Race Ten.

This is the second time in three years that this brilliant, very exciting Melges 32 team has been the runner-up to accepting the Worlds trophy. But, they do not leave the 2017 season empty handed. As reigning Melges 32 European Champions, they will commence the 2018 circuit with more determination than ever before, all sights set on the next World Championship encounter.

Top Five Results (Final - After Ten Races, One Discard)
1. Pavel Kuznetsov/Evgeny Neugodnikov, Tavatuy, 35
2. Edoardo Lupi-Massimo Pessina/Lorenzo Bressani, Torpyone, 41
3. Edoardo Pavesio/Manuel Weiller Vidal, Fra Martina, 52
4. Giangiacomo Serena Di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, G.Spot, 55
5. Christian Schwoerer/Nic Asher, La Pericolosa, 56

Full results

melges32.com

Zhik 29er European Championship
Federico Zampiccoli and Leonardo Chiste remained calm and collected going into the last day of the Zhik 29er European Championship. The Spanish duo of Andres Barrio Garcia and Nestor Vega were just 5 points behind and aiming for the title, but with only 1 race sailed on the final day, were unable to pass the speedy Italians. Instead, the Swedish team of Kasper Nordenram and Axel Pantzare excelled in the light air finishing 2nd in the race to move past the Spanish and into second overall.

The top female team was Margherita Porro and Sophia Leoni (ITA) who finished 4th overall. Zampiccoli and Chiste were also the top youth team. For many countries, the Europeans were their selections for the World Sailing Youth Worlds to be held in Sanya, China in December.

Winners of the silver fleet were Maru Scheel and Freya Feilcke of Germany. Bronze fleet winners Henry Chandler and Louis Johnson (GBR) with Emerald fleet winners Caitlin Webster and Lucy Ferguson.

www.29er.org

Germany wins opening leg of the Nord Stream Race into Denmark
Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) claimed honours on the 150 mile opening leg of the 2017 Nord Stream Race from Kiel, Germany to Skovshoved, just north of Copenhagen.

Leg one of this four stage, 1000 nautical mile race east across the Baltic took the boats 24 hours, after starting from Germany's 'Sailing City' at 1300 yesterday.

"Our tactician from the UK, Hugh Brayshaw, did a super job last night, all of the team did a good job," said the winning team's skipper Michael Tarabochia. "We sailed the right angles and we worked hard the whole day."

The crews spent much of the first leg following the Danish coast. This was mostly upwind and made for few tactical options. For example the Swedish crew dived south during the evening in search of stronger wind, but this didn't pay.

Despite the newness of the one design ClubSwan 50s, and their crews still being unfamiliar sailing them, the racing was extremely close. During the leg at least three of the yachts led. Ultimately the German crew finished just two minutes 20 seconds ahead of Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden). The top four boats finished within 13 minutes with Nyländska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) third and the local heroes on Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) fourth. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) was fifth, still within half an hour of the winner.

Leg two of the Nord Stream Race, from Copenhagen to Stockholm started on Saturday. At 470 miles, by far the longest leg. -- James Boyd, www.sailingintelligence.com

Finished at
1. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) 12:39:15
2. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) 12:41:35
3. Nyländska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) 12:47:03
4. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) 12:52:23
5. Lord of the Sail – Europe (Team Russia) 13:06:30

Follow the 2017 Nord Stream Race tracker

nord-stream-race.com

New York YC Dethrones Noroton YC at Grandmasters Team Race
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: In the six previous editions of the New York Yacht Club Grandmasters Team Race, the home team has finished second five times and third once. That track record of consistent success would be something to crow about were it not for the fact that Noroton Yacht Club, from Darien, Conn., won the event each time.

The New York Yacht Club team, which included current Commodore Phil Lotz, was able to flip the script this year, excelling in the round robin portion of the regatta before knocking off Noroton in the semifinals and then winning the championship on a tie break when the breeze evaporated with New York Yacht Club and Newport Harbor tied on one win apiece. The 2017 New York Yacht Club Grandmasters Team Race was held at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., and sponsored by Porsche and AIG.

Gold Knock-Out Round
Finals: New York YC d. Newport Harbor YC, 1-1*
Petit-Finals: Noroton YC d. Southern YC, 2-0
Semifinals: New York YC d. Noroton YC 2-0, Newport Harbor YC d. Southern YC 2-1
* With round incomplete, the results from the round robin portion were used to break the tie.

Final Results (with Round Robin Win Totals)
1. New York Yacht Club, 12)
2. Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Newport Beach, Calif., 12)
3. Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, Conn., 9)
4. Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, 9)
5. Annapolis (Md.) Yacht Club, 5)
6. Storm Trysail Club, Larchmont, N.Y., 4)
7. St. Francis Yacht Club, San Francisco, 4)
8. Gamla Stans SC (1), Stockholm, Sweden

Full results and team rosters:)
nyyc.org/yachting/teamracing/grandmasters

Cup capers continue in Auckland and Bermuda
Two months have now passed since New Zealand won the America's Cup, with not a lot being forthcoming on how the next event will shape up.

What has been released is a big improvement on what was produced in the run up to the last four America's Cups.

On the 35th America's Cup on Bermuda, it is incredibly disappointing to see the America's Cup video content taken down off Youtube, a month after the event concluded.

This does not just include the media conferences and other reports that were produced on a daily basis, but everything going back to, and including the previous 2013 America's Cup in San Francisco.

Those Cup fans who follow the traffic on the old 2013 San Francisco videos will know that they kept getting replays and had some very good viewer numbers.

There was an enormous of content generated during the 35th America's Cup - and many fans will not have got around to viewing all of it. Now it would seem to have vanished for ever.

For all the comment from those involved in the Golden Gate YC's team and marketing/event management arm about wanting to lift interest in the America's Cup, and sailing generally, this seems to be a very strange way to do it.

How does it benefit the sport to have all official footage and images suppressed a month after the even? -- from Richard Gladwell's editorial in Sail-World.com

www.sail-world.com

* From Ian Chesterman: In his editorial Paul Waring has missed the point of the CIM rules- they are in place to preserve the classic look of the classic fleet. Yachts such as Mariquita, Moonbeam, Tuiga etc. would not have their timeless beauty if rigged with modern composite sails. He is also incorrect when he says that modern sails do not make boats go faster, as I'm sure any modern sailmaker would be quick to point out.

Modern laminate sails hold their designed and built shape when loaded by the wind, transferring more load to the boat which gives more driving force but also higher strains on rigs and rigging- strains that boats rigged with wooden spars and with chainplates attached to wooden hulls were not designed to take.

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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2007 TP52 - RKO. 440,000 EUR. Located in Sydney.

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Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+64277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

-----------------------------------------

2014 JPK 1080 - Sunrise. 230000 EUR. Located in Port Hamble.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com
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The Last Word
Old people don't like swearing, because a lot of the words weren't invented in their day, so they feel left out. -- Zoe Gardner

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

SAP Extreme Sailing Team triumphs in Cardiff
It went down to the wire between SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Alinghi in the finale of Extreme Sailing Series Act 6, Cardiff, but the Danes pipped the Swiss to the post in the final throes of battle. The Danish squad claimed its third win of the season to go top of the overall leaderboard.

Oman Air was forced to settle for third and hand over the 2017 lead to SAP Extreme Sailing Team, after Phil Robertson and his men struggled to find their form of the previous two Acts. Over 90,000 spectators turned out over the Bank Holiday weekend to watch the international fleet in action on Cardiff Bay, and were rewarded for their efforts today with six nail-biting races and plenty of sunshine.

Act 6, Cardiff marks the end of the European leg of the 2017 season, following events in Madeira Islands, Barcelona and Hamburg. The Series now heads to two brand new venues in the Americas for the final two Acts. Act 7 takes place in San Diego, from the 19 - 22 October.

Extreme Sailing Series Act 6, Cardiff, standings after Day 4, 14 races

1. SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Rasmus Kostner, Adam Minoprio, Mads Emil Stephensen, Pierluigi de Felice, Richard Mason, 158 points
2. Alinghi (SUI) Arnaud Psarofaghis, Nicolas Charbonnier, Timothe Lapauw, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey, 150
3. Oman Air (OMA) Phil Robertson, Pete Greenhalgh, James Wierzbowski, Ed Smyth, Nasser Al Mashari, 139
4. Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Stewart Dodson, Adam Piggott, Will Tiller, 134
5. NZ Extreme Sailing Team (NZL) Graeme Sutherland, Josh Junior, Harry Hull, Shane Diviney, Josh Salthouse, 129
6. Land Rover BAR Academy (GBR) Rob Bunce, Owen Bowerman, Oli Greber, Adam Kay, Mark Spearman, 125
7. Team Extreme Wales (GBR) Stevie Morrison, Alain Sign, Martin Evans, Michael Beckett, James French, 110

extremesailingseries.com

Changing of the Guard
For the first time since 2008, the 2017 49er Class World Champion will not be any of Iker Martinez/ Xabi Fernandez, Nathan Outteridge/ Iain Jensen, or Peter Burling/ Blair Tuke. It is a testament to the strength of the 49er Class that each of these three champions are now leading top professional sailing programs in the Americas Cup and Volvo Ocean Race. No doubt the new 2017 49er Class World Champion will be looking to follow in their footsteps.

The truth right now in this post Burling and Outteridge era is that there is so much parity in the fleet making predictions right now is harder than it's ever been. Up to 60 teams are competitive enough that they are looking to make it through the qualifying series to the top 20 Gold fleet. Of those teams, more than 15 believe that if things go their way they could be World Champions at the end of this week. This World Championship is set up to have 19 races over 6 days, but with many of the points being scored in the Gold fleet and Final day races, it is likely to go all the way to the wire and be a tight finish.

As an initial form guide the favorites are Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell (GBR) who narrowly

Returning to action, after a well deserved rest, are 2016 Olympic Bronze medalists, Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER). Erik has been doing some pro sailing this winter while Thomas finished his undergrad degree.

49er.org/event/2017-world-championship/

* Light winds cancelled racing on the first day of the Worlds, Monday 28 August.

Knots V Splicing
It is likely anyone who has ever used ropes has learned to tie knots - to create eyes, connect rope to objects or even just for decoration. There's a knot for every application and for many applications there is no better solution than a knot.

However, there are limitations and every time a rope is distorted, strength is lost. A bent rope means that some of the fibres on the outside of the curve will have to carry more load while fibres on the inside may take none of the load. In addition, parts of the rope in a knot may be compressed such that the fibres are unable to move to share the load.

The level of strength reduction can be substantial. In some cases, strength can be reduced by over 50 per cent. However, this will depend on many factors, including the type of knot, how the knot is tied, how neat it is, how the rope is loaded and the design of the rope amongst others. In contrast to these figures, a well spliced rope will typically retain 90 percent of its quoted strength. In fact, some ropes (typically HMPE products) are often quoted with spliced strength, as this is how the product is tested. If strength of termination is critical then a splice is always the preferred choice.

Marlow Ropes is the market leader in Leisure Marine rope and has over 200 years of experience in rope care and advice. This helpful infographic will explain more about the difference in strength between knots and splicing. Look out for Marlow's new Guide to Splicing which will launch this Autumn at the Southampton Boat Show (Stand J300), La Grand Pavois, La Rochelle and METS in Amsterdam.

www.marlowropes.com

Shenzhen's China Cup To Host WMRT Match Racing World Championship
Shenzhen, China: As the China Cup moves to its second decade the World Match Racing Tour, with it's high performance M32 catamarans at its core, will aid in propelling this highlight on the Asian sailing calendar to a World leading event and keep it at the cutting edge of modern day high-performance sail racing. As the sailing world's eyes turn to the WMRT Finals in October, Shenzhen and the China Cup will play host to the hotly anticipated conclusion to the 2017 match racing season.

Within the past 40 years Shenzhen has grown from a sleepy fishing village to a thriving metropolis with over 20 million inhabitants. This south-eastern Chinese city has hosted the China Cup from its inception in 2007 and ever since the event has powered the development of sailing in China. With ten years experience of hosting this annual sailing spectacular, Shenzhen certainly knows how to deliver as it is five-time winner of "Asian Best Regatta of the Year" and organisers have grown it to become Asia's biggest boating event.

Racing for the event will take place outside the New Sport Ocean Sports Centre which is located at Daya Bay on the east coast of Shenzhen. With temperatures 20 ̊C – 25 ̊C and average winds of 10-15 knots, this event is shaping up to be an idyllic climax to the season. The sheltered waters of Daya Bay provide flat waters for the M32 catamarans to race in and will allow the course to be set close to the shoreline, directly outside the race village.

The WMRT Match Racing World Championship will take place 24-29th October.

wmrt.com

Qingdao Storms In To The Lead
There has been a major change to the Clipper Race leaderboard in the last 24 hours as Qingdao has stormed through to take pole position after wind shifts favoured the westerly positioned teams.

Sanya Serenity Coast and Visit Seattle, placed further to the east, are clinging on to second and third place respectively, closely followed by Garmin, HotelPlanner.com and Dare To Lead.

Skipper of Qingdao, Chris Kobusch, explains: "Going west and sailing the extra miles paid off as we got the northerly winds first and are now leading the fleet on the way to the Canary Islands."

GREAT Britain, which has played its Joker Card and is currently in seventh position, may be one to watch as it has gone further west than Qingdao and benefitted from the same northerly winds.

Most of the fleet also made great progress from the wind shifts. The crew are now experiencing much smoother downwind sailing as they are able to hoist their spinnakers, with varying degrees of success…

Away from the race, thoughts are very much with the Skipper of Greenings, David Hartshorn, and his crew. A helicopter medevac of David successfully took place yesterday afternoon so that he could receive emergency treatment on a serious hand injury and the crew are motoring to Porto under command of Clipper Race Coxswain, Jeremy Hilton.

clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

470 Junior World Championship
Enoshima, Japan: Conditions were anything but typical, and a real contrast to the race track many of the teams experienced at last week's All Japan 470 Nationals, with the current, shifts and pressure exceptionally hard to read. The mainly light seabreeze filled in from the south for the afternoon, bringing with it an unusual current, which at times was hard to beat, and needed smart decision making.

The opening day was an all-French affair as four different national teams - Guillaume Pirouelle/Valentin Sipan, Hippolyte Machetti/Sidoine Dantes, Marina Lefort/Lara Granier and Jennifer Poret/Camille Hautefaye - took the wins in the men and women fleets. Whilst France took the race victory, consistency rewarded Italy who control the leaderboard in both fleets.

470 Men Top Five Provisional Results after 2 Races
1. Giacomo Ferrari/Giulio Calabro, ITA, 4 points
2. Guillaume Pirouelle/Valentin Sipan, FRA, 8
3. Daichi Takayama/Naoya Kimura, JPN, 9
4. Hippolyte Machetti/Sidoine Dantes, FRA, 11
5. Wiley Rogers/Jack Parkin, USA, 12

Defending Champions Silvia Mas/Paula Barcelo are on tiebreak points with Italy's Ilaria Paternoster/Bianca Caruso. Third to Beste Kaynakci/Simay Aslan, with Aslan commenting, "We averaged good results, and for the next days it can get better."

New kids on the block are twin sisters Courtney Reynolds-Smith/Brianna Reynolds-Smith who had an eye opener of a day at their first ever 470 Championship. Coached by two-time 470 Olympian Paul Snow-Hansen, the partnership proved they have come a long way since stepping into a 470 at the start of this year, showing impressive potential with results of 24,8, pitching them to 2nd in the fleet at one point in race 2.

470 Women Top Five Provisional Results after 2 Races
1. Ilaria Paternoster/Bianca Caruso, ITA, 8 points
2. Silvia Mas Depares/Paula Barcelo Martin, ESP, 8
3. Beste Kaynakci/Simay Aslan, TUR, 9
4. Marina Lefort/Lara Granier, FRA, 10
5. Yuki Hayashi/Chika Nishidai, JPN, 14

2017juniorworlds.470.org

The Grand Caribbean Tour - CSA
Can't make up your mind, why not have all of it?

Anyone considering putting together a yacht racing programme in the Caribbean could be forgiven for being slightly bewildered by the vast choice of regattas that take place in so many different locations every year. In the past there were similar challenges for organisers trying to identify dates that were both amenable to the participant and did not clash with other existing events.

The Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA), under the guidance of past presidents such as Cary Lee Byerley and Peter Holmberg, and current president Kathy Lammers, have since paid a great service to those participating on the Caribbean circuit by establishing better dialogue between the many different organisers. The result is that no longer are there the major clashes between events that today flow smoothly into each other. On the CSA website there is now a splendidly organised calendar that lists the dates of all major winter regattas in the Caribbean through to 2022 - one great step in regatta coordination and compatibility.

2018 offers yet again a wonderful selection of regattas for sailors to participate in - all taking place in the Leeward and Windward chain in a geographically logical sequence. The ARC and the RORC Transatlantic Race both act as handy feeder races for European based entries (note that this year's RORC Transatlantic Race finishes in Virgin Gorda rather than Grenada).

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: https://www.seahorsemagazine.com

Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Returns to Europe
After an August of exhilarating regattas along the American East Coast, the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the leading circuit for sailing craft of this kind, returns to Europe on August 29 for the penultimate round of the Mediterranean Circuit at Mahon on the island of Menorca.

The American racing was as spectacular and exhilarating as ever with over 200 yachts doing battle over the five events of the North American Circuit. The regattas are, of course, absolutely unique and enchanting, both in terms of the beauty of the yachts entered and the host venues. Marblehead, Newport, Nantucket and Bristol - all magical places that have written many of the most glorious chapters in sailing and yachting history. The winners of the North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, were SONNY, a Bermudian Sloop designed by Sparkman & Stephens, in the Vintage Division and VALIANT, a 12 metre class yacht in the Grand Prix Division.

Back in the Mediterranean, the XIV Copa del Rey gets underway on August 29 at Mahon on the island of Menorca. This third round of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge is definitely one of the most spectacular on the circuit too. The city of Mahon overlooks a breathtaking natural fjord, and the prevailing local weather and sea conditions always deliver exceptionally technical racing.

The Spanish stage will be pivotal to the overall classification which will see the end-of-season Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge Mediterranean Circuit Trophy presented to the overall winner of the Classic, Vintage and Big Boat categories. Right now, the battle is still wide open as all the top boats are clustered together with just a few points dividing them. After Mahon, however, the standings should be more clearly defined and the key event of the season will therefore be Les Regates Royales at Cannes, the concluding round of the Circuit.

www.paneraiclassicyachtschallenge.com

Nord Stream Race departs Denmark on longest leg
Leg two of the Nord Stream Race set sail from Copenhagen Monday afternoon. At 420 nautical miles, this will be the longest of the four legs in the St Petersburg Yacht Club's annual trans-Baltic yacht race. It will take the competitors anticlockwise around southern Sweden to Stockholm.

At 1415 the offshore race set sail, upwind into 10-12 knots of south southeasterly wind. At 1700, as the competitors were passing back beneath the magnificent Oresund Bridge linking Copenhagen and Malmo, Germany was back in the lead ahead of the Swedes, followed by the Danes, Russians and Finns, but with just 0.6 miles separating first from last.

From here, the forecast has the moderate upwind conditions holding as the fleet continues south, but possibly dropping and veering into the southwest as they head down to the west of the traffic separation scheme (TSS) off the southwesternmost tip of Sweden. After passing the TSS the course requires them to take a sharp left turn ready for the 88 mile broad reach in 15 knot winds (building to 20) to Bornholm, off southern Sweden. Once round this Danish sovereign island, it will be spinnakers up for the long run north towards Stockholm. The direct route takes the boats west up the narrow channel between the long thin island of Öland and the Swedish mainland, however given the boats are likely to want space to gybe, it is more likely they will take the longer offshore route to east of the island. During this period the southerly breeze is expected to build to at least 20 knots.

Approaching Stockholm is tricky because there are countless tiny islands and lots of hard granite rocks. The finish line is off the Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet (KSSS) south of the city, where the boats will be mooring. The leg is expected to take around three days to complete. -- James Boyd, www.sailingintelligence.com

Follow the 2017 Nord Stream Race tracker

www.nord-stream-race.com

World Sailing Show
The Rolex Fastnet Race, the sailor's Everest and this year there was a bumper entry and some fiercely close racing.

There was also a record turn out for the International Moth World Championships where the world's rock stars gathered, hot foot from the America's Cup.

The beast gets launched as Gitana 17 prepares to change the future. We visit the boat and talk to the brains behind the project.

Plus, new talent, new trophy, new events and a new record at Lendy Cowes Week.

Featured Brokerage
2005 TP52 - ORLANDA. 199,950 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy.

Original spec TP52 that has had a 2013 refit, including new paint, and has been little used since. Full offshore interior with heads and galley.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2007 X-46 - VITAMINA X. 190000 EUR. Located in West Coast, Italy.

3-cabin version of this popular X-46 performance cruiser. With super cool carbon rig, she has been well looked after and is well equipped for coastal cruising. She has spent her life in the Med being well cherished.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2008 Corby 36 - Stratisfear. 95000 EUR. Located in Pwhelli, Wales.

The pocket rocket "Stratisfear" is now available for the 2017 season and as ever with these Corby designs, they come with IRC potential in abundance.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com
+442380 016582

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Doesn’t have a point of view / Knows not where he’s going to / Isn’t he a bit like you and me -- John Lennon

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
adidas Poole Week off to a scorching start | J Class Association and North Sails announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup | Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? | J/111 World Championships | The Nations Trophy Spreads Its Wings | 10 Years and growing - Yacht Racing Forum | Jimmy Spithill on how he attacked Dean Barker with mind games | Launchings | Featured Brokerage

adidas Poole Week off to a scorching start
For the 140-odd competitors from across the country who descended on Parkstone Yacht Club over the weekend, adidas Poole Week got off to the sort of start no one would have expected given the British tradition of Bank Holiday rain and gales: they were greeted on Sunday by blue skies, temperatures soaring into the 20s and a benign 5-8 knots of wind.

One tradition was maintained, however: that of hot competition within the fleets, many of which managed two races before tide started to ebb in earnest.

As usual, the Flying Fifteens saw some extremely close finishes, the first few boats in race 1 crossing the line within seconds of each other. Jo Allam, crewing for the week with various helms including husband Pete, finished the day level on points at the top of the list with Crispin Read-Wilson crewed by Steve Brown.

Also true to form, the Lasers turned out in force and included a good number of radials and 4.7s, though some who might normally have entered with a reduced rig were emboldened by the forecast of predominantly light winds for the week.

Over the past few years you have had to look quite hard to find a Dart in Poole Week, so it's good to see them making a comeback. With 9 boats, they're not competing with the Lasers, XODs or Flying Fifteens in terms of fleet size, but counting the number of hulls moves them well up the rankings. If one team feels a hull short, it will be Miranda and Phil Cotton, more commonly seen these days in a Diam 24. -- David Harding, www.SailingScenes.com

Racing continues through Friday.

www.parkstoneyachtclub.com

J Class Association and North Sails announce details for 2018 Kohler Cup
Following the success of the first ever J Class overall season championship, the inaugural 2017 Kohler Cup, the J Class Association and North Sails are proud to announce the 2018 Kohler Cup schedule. The 2018 Cup will be comprised of a total of four events as opposed to just three in 2017. The other notable difference is for the upcoming year events will be weighted equally, with boats that take part in all four events able to discard their worst result.

The Kohler Cup is the first ever season-long points championship for the fleet, aimed at promoting and enhancing the racing for the celebrated world-class fleet of J Class yachts.

The 2018 season will consist of the following events:
- St Barth's Bucket, Caribbean
- Superyacht Cup, Palma
- Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo
- Les Voiles de St Tropez, France

The Kohler Cup Scoring System:
- The Kohler Cup presented by North Sails is awarded at the end of the J Class racing season using the high point scoring system
- Each boat will receive point(s) equal to the number of boats she beat, plus one point. The end season score will be the sum of all the points of the individual races
- The J Class yacht with the highest number of cumulative points wins the Kohler Cup Each event has the same coefficient
- Points will be calculated on the final scores at the end of each event
- J Class yachts not entering an event or a race will be scored with zero (0) points Only J Class yachts participating at least in three (3) events will be eligible to compete for the seasonal Kohler Cup
- Yachts competing in all four (4) events drop their worst score prior to final tally
- In case of a tie, the better position in the final event will determine who breaks the tie on top

www.jclassyachts.com

Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.

www.sailingweek.com

J/111 World Championships
After nine races spread over four grueling days, Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key (USA 115) is the 2017 J/111 World Champion. Going into day four, this regatta was still anyone's game, and all eyes were on the top three contenders who had tussled for pole position throughout the regatta.

Bright sunshine and 10 knots of air greeted the eight J/111 crews that assembled on San Francisco Bay this morning for the final day of racing at the 2017 J/111 World Championships hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, California. Racing had been consistently competitive throughout four days of competition, with regular leader changes and a good mix of boats winning top-three finishes. Better still, the weather cooperated perfectly, giving sailors a hearty dose of what they came for: San Francisco's legendary summer breeze.

Going into the final day, Jim Connolly's Slush Fund (USA 019) topped the leaderboard, tied for total points (18) with Rod Warren's Joust (AUS 1110). However,Slush Fund had a net score of 12 points (due to discarded races), while Warren and company carried 13 net points; Skeleton Key was in third place with 17 total points and 13 net points.

After nine races, Peter Wagner's Skeleton Key crew are the new J/111 World Champions, and their victory on their home waters is made all the sweeter by the fact that they came in second at last year's J/111 Worlds in Cowes, UK.

Final top five
1. Peter Wagner, USA, 16 points
2. Jim Connelly, USA, 18
3. Rod Warren, AUS, 18
4. Doug and Jack Jorgensen, USA, 31
5. Martin Roesch, USA, 36

stfyc.com/j111worlds2017

The Nations Trophy Spreads Its Wings
Following a hugely successful showing of the Swan One Design fleet at Copa del Rey Mapfre at the end of July, entries for The Nations Trophy have increased rapidly over the last few days. Scheduled for 10 - 14 October and hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, the event is the culmination of the Swan One Design Mediterranean season and incorporates the Swan 45 World Championship along with the ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 42 European Championships.

The current entry list shows seven ClubSwan 50s, eight Swan 45s and five ClubSwan 42s. Germany, the first team confirmed as competing for the inaugural Nations Trophy, has been joined by Italy and Spain; France, the Netherlands, Russia and the UK are among other teams expected to be settled shortly.

The Nations Trophy will be decided by a country's best performing boats from two of the three Swan One Design classes competing; consequently, it is not necessary to have boats in all three classes even though it may help. Italy is the one nation so far to have yachts competing across the three championship events: Cuordileone, which won her class at the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean in March, and Ulika compete in the ClubSwan 50 Europeans, Thetis in the Swan 45 Worlds, and Far Star, Digital Bravo and Mela will compete for the ClubSwan 42 Europeans. All of the Italian yachts took part in the Copa del Rey achieving respectable results in all three fleets, particularly the ClubSwan 50.

The inaugural Nations Trophy will be held in Palma de Mallorca from 10 - 14 October, 2017.

thenationstrophy.com

10 Years and growing - Yacht Racing Forum
With its dynamic mix of technical presentations and networking the Yacht Racing Forum is now firmly established as a 'must attend' winter event for anyone involved in the business of sailing and yacht racing

The Forum was launched 10 years ago in Monaco by the Informa Group; the event has since been taken over by Bernard Schopfer and his Geneva-based agency MaxComm, who organise the event with passion, determination and a longterm vision.

Today the Forum is in good shape and attracts a growing number of the sports' leading personalities and brands. The reasons for this success? 'We are here for the entire sport, from kiteboarding to superyachts, and the industry that supports the sailors involved. The chance to engage in dialogue here is very important to us', says Andy Hunt, World Sailing CE.

Photo: The return on sponsorship is always a big topic at the Yacht Racing Forum; one less well discussed aspect is the ‘secured value’ – ie the value of not winning. While not questioning Franck Cammas’s ultimate goal of winning the America’s Cup, this time Groupama will have priced their spend very carefully to ensure good value even if - as indeed happened - Cammas left the stage early. With one-tenth of the budget of other teams Groupama easily won the ROI battle

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Jimmy Spithill on how he attacked Dean Barker with mind games
In one of sport's most famous comebacks, skipper Spithill and Oracle rose from a hopeless 1 - 8 score against Team New Zealand to retain the Auld Mug in 2013.

In his just released biography "Chasing the Cup", Spithill said his Uncle Ron - his first sailing sponsor - and wife Trish were headed to San Francisco after being delayed by a business commitment in Paris.

But Spithill's dad told Ron and Trish not to bother.

"You've got to be a realist here, Ron," Arthur Spithill told them.

"We are talking about you spending four grand on airfares to get here and see the Kiwis driving off with the trophy. It doesn't look terribly good."

They took the advice, headed back to Australia so were not on hand to watch the Oracle skipper turn his team around, while sending Barker's TNZ into a tailspin.

"So, there you have it: neither my father nor (Uncle Ron) thought Oracle could win the Cup."

While improvements to the boat, a major crew change and improved sailing all contributed to the fightback, Spithill reveals how he used a press conference to start turning the screws on Barker and co. by planting doubt in their mind.

Spithill explained in his book: "I sensed this was a situation I could use to put unexpected pressure on the Kiwi team: they had everything to lose. I don't think such a thought had ever previously entered their minds, but now it had. This was a fight to the end..."

www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/

Launchings
Click on images to enlarge.

The first J/121 named "Incognito" was launched at Stanley's Boat Yard in Barrington, Rhode Island on Monday 8/21/17 at 9:45am. Within 15 minutes the Southern Spars carbon deck- stepped mast was installed, shrouds pinned and the next few hours the rigging systems were assembled. By late afternoon, the design and build team, several suppliers and the new owner and friends, were rewarded with a beautiful first sail on Narragansett Bay.

The J/121 took off with the very first puff once the new carbon North Sails were raised, and even with twice the normal number of crew on-board the boat responded nicely. There is a light touch on the wheel, combined with a big boat feeling of substantial stability and control.

Everyone is raving about the uniquely open, secure and comfortable cockpit design on this boat. There are versatile trimming and driving positions and clear/wide paths for crossing the boat during all maneuvers. The twin wheel system with floor-mounted traveler provides open access to the back of the boat and great visibility of headsails from the helm both while sitting and standing. With 13 crew on this maiden voyage one might expect to feel a bit over crowded but that was not the case at all. The J/121 cockpit might just be the most comfortable of any 40 footer and is combined with the best layout for sail handling by just a few at the same time.

jboats.com/j121

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The MW680F is a foiling one design sport boat concept thought to fill the space open up between the new foiling creatures and the planning yet floating sport boats.

With a crew of 3, it will be challenging and expected to become a wide appeal to sailors from many skill levels, ages, and genders searching for fun, fast, and exciting sailing.

The boat is expected to start flying at around 8 knots of TWS with an asymmetric Spi / Code 0 type of sail set at the prod. It will also be capable to sail fast in conventional mode with both foils fully retracted thanks to stability provided by wings and an efficient mono-hull shape. This flexibility will be valuable for a gradual warm up on the foiling learning process and more relaxed sail back to dock when required.

LOA: 6.8 m
Hull Beam: 2.1 m
Max. Beam With Racks Out: 3.5 m
Max. Beam With Racks Folded: 2.5 m
Draft: 0.35-1.55m
Displacement: 300 kg
Bulb Weight: 60 kg
Crew Weight: 210-260kg

www.sailingworld.com

wilson-marquinez.com/mw680f/

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To create the next great one-design class, the New York Yacht Club has partnered with Melges Performance Sailboats along with other industry leaders, including Mills Design, North Sails and Westerly Marine. The IC37 was developed to carry the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the world's premiere Corinthian competition, into its second decade. But interest in the boat has spread well beyond the current and former Invitational Cup participants.

In May, the New York Yacht Club announced that a 37-foot boat from Mills Design had been selected from 18 entries from the world's top yacht designers. The addition of Melges Performance Boats as the marketing and class development partner, along with North Sails and Westerly Marine, and equipment suppliers Harken and Southern Spars, completes the picture.

The New York Yacht Club will purchase a fleet of 20 boats to be used for the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, starting in 2019, and a member concierge charter program. Melges Performance Sailboats will be in charge of developing the worldwide class.

The class rules are an evolution of the principal philosophy for the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup: top-notch Corinthian competition in matched one-design boats. With the exception of one bona fide boat captain, the crew will be all World Sailing Group 1 (amateur) sailors and the inclusion of female sailors on each crew will be required. The combination of sails constructed to a common design by industry leader North Sails and hulls built to exacting tolerances by Westerly Marine, one of the world's most respected and capable boatbuilders, will ensure a level platform previously unseen for boats this size. The innovative class structure will establish a new paradigm for true one-design racing.

nyyc.org

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The newly-formed ClubSwan Yachts division is moving forward with pace.

An exciting project has just been started, marking yet another milestone in Nautor's Swan's history of craftsmanship, innovation and technological advancement.

Designed by Juan Kouyoumidjian, the ClubSwan 125 is a project being realized for a knowledgeable and skilled racing owner, who relishes the high-performance ideals and fresh-thinking behind the concept.

"Each Supermaxi is unique, but few will go as far as the new ClubSwan 125 to merge style and performance," declares Juan Kouyoumidjian. "While below deck you will marvel at the attention to the detail and the space, both of which exemplify the experience of being afloat at its best, at the helm you will be immersed in the sensation of sailing the fastest monohull ever conceived".

The ClubSwan will launch in 2019

www.clubswan125.com

Featured Brokerage
2011 Maxi 82 AEGIR. 3,599,000 EUR. Located in Palma de Mallorca.

AEGIR, a Simon Rogers Design built in 2010 and designed as a modern Racer-Cruiser to compete in the Maxi Class of the most prestigious race events, has fulfilled her goals at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in Porto Cervo, winning both the 2012 and 2013 editions, and finishing 2nd in her class in 2016!

She is also a proven offshore racer with a 3rd place at the Caribbean RORC 600 in 2011, and a 4th at the Middle Sea Race in 2016!

Light, strong, fast and sharp on the water, she can also turn into an ideal blue water cruising yacht, offering excellent comfort and all the amenities of high standard sailing style, with 2 double cabins forward and one triple cabin with single beds, a large saloon, a comfy cockpit table for up to 8 guests and a large sunbed area on an open transom.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
info@bernard-gallay.com

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2012 Swan 60 Racer Cruiser. Price on application. Located in Spain.

New to the brokerage market, this Swan 60 has been optimized for competitive racing and is offered as a turn-key regatta program including sails, rigging, equipment and storage/shipping cradle. Contact our office in Monaco for additional information about pricing and location

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Nautor's Swan Brokerage
brokerage@nautorswan.com
Tel. +377 97 97 95 07
nautorswanbrokerage.com

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2002 IRC Maxi LA BETE. 600,000 EUR. Located in Toulon, France.

Fresh from a winter refit of full servicing and checking, conversion of the primary winches to hydraulic and many more upgrades, this IRC Maxi 90' (LA BETE) offers superb value for money in a competitive package ready for the Maxi Worlds and regattas all over the globe.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Ultimately life is disease, death and oblivion. It's still better than high school. -- Dan Savage

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Deutschland Sailors Stake Early Podium Spots in 49er and FX
After losing the first two days of the49er and FX World Championship to a lack of sailable conditions, Day 3 of the 2017 Worlds opened under yet another curtain of fog, rain, and light air. With a tantalizing breeze a few miles offshore just beyond the fog banks, frustration reigned ashore for sailors, coaches, and race officials as the waiting game continued.

At around 2 PM, the first rays of sun tickled the top of the masts just as the Northerly breeze began to flow, and a few minutes later, hundreds of faces were smiling as officials hoisted the flags and released the 49ers from the shore.

Big rolling ocean swells greeted the fleets, with a light 4-7 knots of northerly breeze providing enough power to get through the lump, but not much more.

Of all the teams, no one started the day stronger than Portugal's own Olympic veterans Jorge Lima and Jose Costa - the duo took a bullet in race 1 and a 2nd in race 2 in their section.

Lima and Costa are looking forward to the stronger wind and bigger waves forecast for the rest of the week - conditions similar to their training camp in Lima's home port of Cascais.

Great Britain's James Peters and Finn Sterritt continued the strong performance they showed during their bronze medal European Championship sail last month, scoring a 2,2,5 to lead all 49er fleets after three qualifying races. They lead a massive, 11-team strong British 49er effort, but surprisingly Peters/Sterritt are the only UK team in the top ten after three races - something that most expect to change rapidly when the breeze kicks in tomorrow.

German 49er sailors had a huge first day of racing, and not just the veterans: Rio medalists Tommy Ploessel and Erik Heil finished their day in third place, ending the day with a 1,2 in the final two races. Meanwhile, Ploessel/Heil's longtime training partners and rivals Justus Schmidt and Max Boehme did them one better; a 4,3,2 scoreline was good for second overall, just one point ahead of the Olympic vets and tied on points with the British leaders.

With the women's 49er FX fleets only able to complete two races for each of their two courses, results may not mean much, but despite missing a few months of training and the European Championship, Rio silver medalists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (NZL) were back on the form they showed when winning the first ever FX World Championship in 2013, leading with 4 points. European weather models are now predicting 15-25 knot northerly breezes by Thursday afternoon.

49er.org/event/2017-world-championship/

European Match Race Tour Ploen
Jelmer van Beek and his Team Dutch Wave won at Germany's Tour stop, the last opportunity to qualify for the European Grand Final held in two weeks time at Ravenna. Local skipper Lars Hueckstaedt took silver ahead of Germany's favourite skipper Max Gurgel.

Perfect sailing conditions at northern Germany's Lake Ploen combined with the experienced organizers from the Heizkoerper Sailing Team provided two days of match racing at best.

Jelmer von Beek, who won already this year's German Championship, set the pace right from the beginning. Once in the lead he dominated the event while Lars Hueckstaedt showed his best performance this year so far by sailing into the second place.

With the victory at Ploen, van Beek qualified for the Grand Final together with Helmut Czasny (AUT) and the Croation team of Teo Piasevoli. There they will meet the leaders of the European Match Race Tour, the French team with Skipper Simon Bertheau, who are trailed by Polish World #11 Patryk Zbroja.

The Grand Final 2017 will take place from 8 - 10 September at Italy's Ravenna as an World Sailing Grade 2 event with double points for the Overall Rankings of the European Tour.

Final Results Top 4
1. Jelmer van Beek - NED
2. Lars Hueckstaedt - GER
3. Max Gurgel - GER
4. Henrik Christensen - DEN

europeanmatchracetour.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/europeanmatchracetour/

Moving on from Rio - Kiel Week
While two flying boats grabbed the headlines in Bermuda a very much bigger... 135-year-old regatta was also taking place in northern Germany

For the organisers it was another typical Kieler Woche... this year attracting 4,000 sailors from 65 nations, competing in 1,700 boats of all shapes and sizes. The race committee started more than 400 races over the nine-day regatta.

Kiel Week is one for the bucket list and you really have no excuse not to take part at least once in your sailing career. Aside from the high-profile Olympic classes, there is every kind of keelboat class plus junior and senior one-design fleets such as the Laser 4.7, the 420 and 505. From the seasoned pro to the almost-beginner, there is something for every sailor.

This year's Kiel Week, 'Kieler Woche' as locals refer to it, attracted some of the biggest names from Rio 2016. The irrepressible Robert Scheidt was back, now in a 49er with fellow Brazilian Gabriel Borges. 'I first came to Kiel Week in 1993 when I was 19. My mother was with me and I was racing the Laser,' Scheidt recalls. Three years later he would go on to win the first of his five Olympic medals, a gold in the Laser at Atlanta 1996, beating a certain 19-year-old from Great Britain, Ben Ainslie, into second place.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Forties, Dogger, Fisher: 150 years of the Shipping Forecast
As British as cricket, strawberries and cream and a cup of tea, the Shipping Forecast marked its 150th anniversary last Thursday 24 August.

According to The Met Office, it is believed to be the longest running continuous forecast in the world.

Initially printed in the daily press, it was then sent to ships using telegraph communications. The first radio broadcasts began in 1921 and it wasn't until 1925 that the BBC was chosen to broadcast the shipping forecast.

Since then, its evolved into the iconic forecasts that sailors and non-sailors alike can listen to four times a day.

The Shipping Forecast has a 93% accuracy, while the inshore waters forecast has a 97% accuracy.

The Shipping Forecast has inspired numerous songs including Blur's "This Is a Low", Radiohead's "Limbo", and has even been sampled by The Prodigy in their song, "Weather Experience".

In 2011, listeners to Test Match Special failed to hear the dramatic end of England's successful Ashes series - the station cut away to the Shipping Forecast moments before the final wicket fell.

More fun Shipping Forecast facts: www.ybw.com

Gulari Injured in NACRA 17 Capsize
US Sailing Team Nacra 17 athlete and Rio 2016 U.S. Olympian Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) suffered an injury during a training incident on Wednesday, as he and teammate Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) were preparing for the upcoming Nacra 17 World Championship (September 5-10, 2017) in La Grande Motte, France. Gulari lost part of three fingers on his right hand after he came in contact with the boat's rigging during a capsize in strong wind conditions. Gulari is currently recovering at a local hospital following surgery, and is expected to return to sailing in approximately four weeks.

"This is an unfortunate setback, but Helena and I will bounce back from this and continue our campaign for Tokyo 2020," said Gulari, a two-time Moth World Champion and the 2009 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the year. "I'll definitely be back on the water as soon as I'm able, which should be in about a month."

Gulari and Scutt will retire from the 2017 Nacra 17 Worlds, and focus on Gulari's recovery in the coming weeks.

www.sail-world.com

Last Call for Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards
World Sailing is inviting nominations for the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. There are two categories - male and female - and sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport.

Click here to nominate a sailor (or crew) for the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year.

Nominations must be received by World Sailing no later than 19.00 UTC on Friday 1 September 2017.

World Sailing will draw up a shortlist of nominations with the highest and most inspirational achievers going on to become the 2017 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Nominees.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 7 November 2017 at the World Sailing Awards Ceremony in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

www.sailing.org

The Laser Book - Sixth Edition
In 1979, Fernhurst Books was founded with the publication of The Laser Book. Since then, the book has been regularly updated, never been out of print and constantly one of the company's best-selling books.

Nearly 30 years later, they are publishing the sixth edition of this classic text, updated for all the recent developments including the Mk 2 Standard sail and the new composite top section. The book covers all 3 Laser rigs: the Standard rig, Radial and 4.7 with new photos of medal-winning sailors.

Tim Davison, Fernhurst Books' founder, still remains the author, but he has enlisted help from some of the top Laser sailors to ensure this book is bang up-to-date:

- Gold medal winning coach, past Radial World Champion and UK Laser Association Training Officer, Jon Emmett has contributed to all aspects of the book and sailed the Standard rig Laser for most of the photos.
- Alan Davis, the National and European Masters Champion in the Standard rig, shared his secrets for the new Mk 2 sail.
- Lijia Xu, who Jon coached to win gold in the Laser Radial in the London 2012 Olympic Games, has passed on her tips and sailed the Laser Radial for the photoshoot.
- Matilda Nicholls, who has just won the Radial Youth Girl National and World Championships and was previously Under 16 Girls European Champion and 6th Girl in the Worlds in the 4.7 rig, has helped with the advice for that rig.

Double Laser World Champion, Nick Thompson has also kindly contributed the Foreword.

* This was standard textbook for your humble narrator's sailing school which at one point had 17 Lasers in its varied fleet. This one should be in everyone's library. Who HASN'T sailed a Laser???

www.fernhurstbooks.com

Team Sweden wins leg home in Volvo Ocean Race conditions
After a night of terror, exhilaration and 20+ knot boat speeds, Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) arrived home to a glorious victory this morning at the end of leg two of the 2017 Nord Stream Race. At 420 miles, this was by far the longest of the trans-Baltic yacht race's four legs, taking the boats from Copenhagen to the Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) at Saltsjobaden, outside Stockholm.

The Swedes relieved Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) of the lead halfway to the turning mark off Bornholm on Monday night. Last night, passing Gotland, they seemed to find a groove of their own, extending away, to finish with a lead of 50 minutes.

For the five crews, last night's ride on their ClubSwan 50s was sensational, hard running in 25 knot winds, gusting to 30, in steep, short waves. In the pitch black night, the fast ride was both exhilarating and terrifying. "It is not often that I get really scared on a boat, but last night I did! It was like a mini-Volvo Ocean Race," admitted Martin Krite. He should know having won the round the world race in 2011-12.

Last night, running downwind, the boats were hitting 22 knots top speeds, but there was a price: "Just before we got into the Archipelago, we were on our side for about four minutes," admitted Krite. Fortunately no one was injured in the broach.

Next arrival off Saltsjobaden, the magnificent location of the KSSS clubhouse, was Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark). The best moment for the Danes was on the long starboard gybe across to Gotland yesterday evening when they went from fourth place to almost drawing level with the Swedes.

Such was the pace of the Nord Stream Race boats on this leg that their arrival into Stockholm was a day earlier than scheduled. This will allow crews recovery time before the Nord Stream Race's third leg to Helsinki begins on Saturday, 2nd September. -- James Boyd, sailingintelligence.com

Nord Stream Race 2017 - leg two times:
1. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) - 43h 29m 09s
2. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) - 44h 18m 34s
3. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) - 44h 33m 32s
4. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) - 44h 51m 27s
5. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) - 46h 13m 06s

Nord Stream Race 2017 - overall results after two offshore legs and two inshore series
1. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) - 5
2. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) - 7
3. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) - 9
4. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) - 11
5. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) - 13

www.nord-stream-race.com

Greenings Re-joins Clipper Leg 1
The Greenings team resumed its Clipper 2017-18 Race campaign yesteday evening following the yacht's diversion to Portugal after Skipper David Hartshorn suffered a serious hand injury. The incident occurred approximately 450nM off the coast of Portugal on Saturday evening when British professional Skipper David Hartshorn, 52, was leading a spinnaker drop with his crew. A spinnaker sheet became caught around his left thumb resulting in a serious open fracture which required urgent medical attention.

Greenings is now motorsailing to the position of 40°12.395N, 009°29.969W which is exactly 1923.8nM from the midpoint of the Doldrums Corridor. This is the same distance that the yacht was at from the Doldrums Corridor midpoint when the incident occurred.

The overall time for Greenings for Race 1 will be calculated as the elapsed time from Race Start in Liverpool, until the time the team crosses the finish line in Uruguay.

The rest of the Clipper Race fleet is currently racing through the Atlantic and is expected to arrive in Punta del Este, Uruguay, between 20-25 September.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com/raceviewer

For The Record
The WSSR Council announces the the establishment of a new Performance Certificate.

Route sailed: First Woman Around Antarctica under the WSSR Rules.
Yacht: "Climate Action Now" 50 ft Monohull.
Name: Lisa Blair. AUS
Dates: 22nd January 2017 to the 25th July 2017
Start time: 03;21;00 on 22/01/17
Finish time: 10;42;38 on 25/07/17
Elapsed time: 183 days 7 hours 21 minutes and 38 seconds
Comments: Achieved with one stop.

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council sailspeedrecords.com

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The Last Word
I always wish the hotels were like they are in movies and TV shows, where if you're in Paris, right outside your window is the Eiffel Tower. In Egypt, the pyramids are right there. In the movies, every hotel has a monument right outside your window. My hotel rooms overlook the garbage dumpster in the back alley. -- Gilbert Gottfried

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Biting The Bullets
Maloney/Meech Rock FX Fleet With Four Wins in Big Northerly; Fletcher/Bithell Come On Strong With Three as 2017 49er Worlds Qualification Rounds End

Porto, Portugal: For four years, three teams have worked together as training partners for the benefit of them all, even as they battled at every event for gold and glory in the 49er FX, the women's Olympic skiff class. They've fought over World and European Championships, they've fought over World Cups, and their battle for Olympic Gold wasn't over until the final leg of the final race in Rio De Janeiro - and all three teams medaled.

We're talking about Rio gold medalists Martine Grael/Kahena Kunze (BRA), silver winners Alex Maloney/Molly Meech (NZ), and Bronze winners Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (DEN), and it's no surprise to anyone that three perennial performers top the 2017 World Championship leaderboard at the conclusion of the Qualifying Rounds for the 49er FX.

As the women's fleets returned to the Club de Vela Atlantico, the breeze picked up yet another notch, settling in at a brisk 20 knots from due North. Capsizes, gear failures, and even seasickness beat up numerous crews, but none of it fazed newly crowned European Champions Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell at all. The British Olympic skipper and his new-for-2017 crew (a former Olympic medalist in the 470 Class) couldn't put a foot wrong today, taking all three races on the Alpha course and carrying a four-point lead into the Gold Fleet action tomorrow morning.

Weather forecasts show a continuation of the summer Tradewind pattern, with Northerly winds of 12-17 knots and lumpy seas on tap for a full day of racing tomorrow.

49er.org/event/2017-world-championship/

Turn the Tide on Plastic add four more young sailors
Turn the Tide on Plastic have added another four young sailors to their crusading campaign in the Volvo Ocean Race - with Welsh America's Cup sailor Bleddyn Mon, fellow Briton Henry Bomby and Portuguese pair Bernardo Freitas and Frederico Pinheiro de Melo all joining Dee Caffari's team for the 2017-18 edition.

"There is so much young talent out there," said Caffari, who is delivering on her pledge to bring a mixed male-female crew with a strong youth component to the start line.

"Bleddyn Mon is a talented dinghy sailor and was one of the fittest in Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup Land Rover BAR team. As an engineer, he is very analytical, good at checking the data and also a very talented trimmer.

"Henry Bomby has many offshore miles under his belt as a short-handed Figaro sailor, and like most good sailors he can turn his hand to numerous activities on board. He is comfortable with fast speeds and in good physical shape."

The team, which will amplify United Nations Environment's 'Clean Seas: Turn the Tide on Plastic' campaign, counts the Portugal-based Mirpuri Foundation as its principal partner and the presence of Bernardo Freitas and Frederico Pinheiro de Melo will strengthen the team's Portuguese flavour.

"We trialled eight Portuguese sailors to finally select Bernardo and Frederico," added Caffari. "There is limited offshore experience in Portugal but some really good sailors. Both sailors I have chosen are physically strong with good skill sets."

Last week, the team announced Italian Olympic sailor Francesca Clapcich (29) and Lucas Chapman (25) to the squad, joining skipper Caffari and boat captain Liz Wardley.

volvooceanrace.com

Seahorse September 2017
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine

Update
How the Cup was won and why the Golden Globe in 2018 is going to be such a huge story. Rob Kothe, Jack Griffin and Terry Hutchinson

Tough call
James Boyd tries to see past the many conflicting forces that will shape the next America's Cup in 2021

My... we do breed 'em
There are some quite remarkable people who are drawn to race sailing boats... Tim Jeffery sits down with Dr Frank Newton OBE

Seahorse build table - A fun design space
Erik Lerouge has a new Mini-Me trimaran

Sailor of the Month
Two masters of all they survey

Born in the Volvo - available to all
Hoping for the best is never much of a plan

Passione
... is everywhere on the latest WallyCento

Special rates for Scuttlebutt Europe subscribers:
Seahorse Print or Digital Subscription Use Discount Promo Code SB2

1yr Print Sub: €77 - £48 - $71 / Rest of the World: £65 www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/subs/

1yr Digital Sub for £30: www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/digital

Discounts shown are valid on a one year subscription to Seahorse magazine.

The 2018 Extreme Sailing Series is ready for take-off
OC Sport, founder and organiser of the Extreme Sailing Series, is officially inviting team entries for the 2018 season, with the release of the provisional Notice of Race.

The twelfth Series will visit eight venues across three continents. The calendar and venues will allow the teams increased access to boats and facilitate larger racing areas, whilst remaining true to the core Stadium Racing format that the Series is famed for.

The Series will continue to build on the trend of the past four years that has seen the average size of racecourses grow, while maintaining the proximity of the foiling action to the shore.

Race Director John Craig explained: "With the GC32s being as quick as they are we need to give them a little bit more room to stretch, but we won't lose the stadium feel. We will continue to bring the boats close to the spectators by positioning part of the racecourse close to shore."

The diverse racing format will include open water racing in some venues to maximise the potential of the high-speed foiling GC32s.

In addition, the 2018 schedule will increase the teams' access to the boats. "A key goal of the Notice of Race is to enable the sailors to have more time with their boats. Some of the venues we have selected will reduce shipping time, which will increase the amount of time sailors have to use their boats," explained Craig.

Entry is open immediately and the 2018 calendar of events, including venue locations, will be announced in the coming months, along with the shape of the 2019 Series.

Teams who are interested in competing in the 2018 Extreme Sailing Series, or who would like more information about the provisional Notice of Race, should email entries@extremesailingseries.com

extremesailingseries.com

Bouwe Bekking supports Legends Race 2018
Gothenburg, Sweden: Dutch sailing legend, Bouwe Bekking is all set to have an eighth tilt at taking home the Volvo Ocean Race Trophy when the race takes off around the world in October this year. But, when it arrives in Gothenburg in June 2018, Bekking will also have another roll to play, as he's also Ambassador to the Legends Race 2018.

Thirty-two years ago, Bekking made his round-the-world racing debut onboard the Dutch yacht, Philip's Innovator, finishing second overall in the Whitbread Round the World Race 1985-86. The distinctive blue boat won the 7,300-nautical mile Southern Ocean leg from Cape Town to Auckland and Bekking's taste for ocean racing was confirmed.

Bekking's second race was alongside America's Cup heroes, Dennis Conner and Brad Butterworth, onboard Winston, a boat full of promise but only delivering a disappointing fourth place finish in the Whitbread 60 division of the 1993-94 event.

Two more races on the 60s, (Merit Cup in 1997-98 and Amer Sports One in 2001) gave Bekking the experience to step up to the plate and skipper his own campaign in 2005-06.

The newly-introduced 'street fighter' - the Volvo Open 70 - was a beast and Bekking took the 24-hour monohull world record, sailing 530.19 nautical miles on the delivery from Wellington, New Zealand to Europe. But his campaign was ill-fated and although the boat won Leg 3 from Melbourne to Wellington, she later sank on the trans-atlantic leg to Portsmouth, UK.

Undeterred, Bekking returned at the helm of Telefonica Blue in the 2008-09 event, winning two legs, and finishing third overall, before his latest sint with Team Brunel in the 2014-15 race, in which he also won two legs and finished second.

With a history like this, Bouwe Bekking is the perfect Ambassador for the Legends Race 2018, an event for any boat that has competed in either the Whitbread Round the World Race or the Volvo Ocean Race.

volvooceanrace.com

Whales, Ahoy!
Whales today are more often being spotted close to shore, sometimes in water as shallow as 15 feet. And scientists aren't sure why.

If you read the September 2017 issue of Soundings you'll see that there have been increased whale sightings in Long Island Sound, with some close to New York City.

Wherever you boat, it's good to know what to do - and what not to do - when you see one of these magnificent marine mammals. This video has more.

www.soundingsonline.com

Industry News
Musto announced as the official suppliers to Turn the Tide on Plastic.

Dee Caffari became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world "the wrong way" in 2006. In 2009 she capitalised on that feat by completing the Vendee Globe and became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop around the world in both directions. Caffari's ambition also extends to the unique make up of her team, which will consist of a 50/50 male-female squad with the majority of them being under the age of 30. As well as competing in one of the toughest races on the planet, the mixed youth focussed team will be tackling the issue of ocean health by raising awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans. Dee Caffari's Turn the Tide on Plastic team have ambitions to make a difference both on and off the water.

Petra Carran, Head of Marketing "It's an honour for Musto to be working with a sailor of Dee's experience and professionalism. We wholeheartedly support Turn the Tide on Plastic's sustainability ambitions and have already been making significant changes to our standard business practices to ensure plastic usage is kept to an absolute minimum. We look forward to supporting Dee and her team throughout the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 and wish them every success as they cross the start line in October."

In the video below Dee Caffari talks us through what an ocean racer really needs to have in their kit bag, with personal recommendations on how to achieve success from a top sailor.

musto.co.uk

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Australian Sailing will farewell Performance Director Peter Conde after 13 years following his appointment as Director of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Joining Australian Sailing as a consultant following the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Peter was instrumental in the collective development of the Gold Medal Plan which resulted in the creation of the Australian Sailing Team in 2006. Taking over as Performance Director in 2009, Peter continued to expand the Plan by refining the coaching and staffing structures and strengthening the focus on pathway development.

His meticulous planning resulted in two Gold and one Silver in Beijing and one Silver and one Bronze at the Paralympics; three Gold and one Silver medal at the Olympic Games and one Gold at the Paralympic Games followed in London in 2012. In 2016, the Australian sailors returned home with one Gold and three Silver from the Olympic Games, equalling the highest medal tally of any sailing country. Australian Paralympic sailors medalled in all three classes claiming two Gold and one Silver in Rio.

Australian Sailing CEO John Lee said the search has already commenced to secure the services of a Performance Director for Australian Sailing. "We are disappointed to see Peter leave us but are proud that he is utilising his exceptional leadership skills and knowledge for the ongoing development of Australian sport at the AIS.

He also confirmed that the Board of Australian Sailing have agreed to undertake a targeted search for its next Performance Director.

sailing.org.au

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Dutch serial entrepreneur and sailor Peter Houtzagers takes the helm of SAILMON, a nautical instrument solutions provider based in the Scheveningen harbor, Netherlands. Together with multiple Olympic 470 athlete Kalle Coster, he founded the company in 2014 with the aim of making this world a better place for sailors. As the new CEO, Houtzagers will now steer SAILMON into the future with unique inventions.

SAILMON is known for its high-quality, full-colour and full graphical displays. They offer crisp, crystal clear and bright readability, even in full sunlight. As well as soft, subtle, non-blinding pitch black night readability. The other asset is the SAILMON Model E4 Processor and Connectivity Unit with unique internet connectivity. It processes and converts all incoming data from the sensors on board into adequate and useful sailing performance data. "The big advantage is that most of the existing sensors connect to our SAILMON Model E4 Processor, so there is no need to replace them", explains Houtzagers.

The numbers can be viewed on any kind of display, either attached to the boat or on portable devices, by using the free ScreenView App

sailmon.com

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Harken has been named official supplier of winches, blocks, traveller systems and mast car systems for the 2017-18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

It is the second consecutive race that the USA and Italy-based manufacturer has equipped the One Design Volvo Ocean 65 fleet with some of the most advanced deckware products on the market. The agreement ensures Harken hardware will continue to be a fixture of the racing boats when they line up in Alicante on 22 October 2017.

Each Volvo Ocean 65 features seven hand-operated, manual Harken winches on deck, which allow the sailors to hoist and trim huge sails under high-pressure racing conditions.

"We're delighted that the Volvo Ocean 65s will once again feature a wide range of Harken products in 2017-18," said Neil Cox, Head of the Boatyard, the Race's shared services maintenance centre, which travels around the world alongside the fleet to keep the boats in tip top shape.

Harken has a long and successful history supplying many Volvo Ocean Race teams before officially linking up with the event when the race moved to a One Design fleet ahead of 2014-15, and will supply carbon fibre racing winches, TTR2 Air® blocks, CRX roller bearing travellers, and Battcar systems in 2017-18.

harken.com

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As of today, Quantum Midden-Nederland (aka Sail Loft) continues as Quantum Sails Netherlands. Owner Jelmer Bouw is now providing his Quantum service to all sailors in the Netherlands. Bouw is succeeding the business from the Rotterdam-based sail loft operated by Nic Bol.

Bouw opened his loft and joined the Quantum Netherlands team in 2009. The full-service loft is centrally located at Marina Muiderzand in Almere and is easily reached by car and boat. The loft offers sail and canvas repairs, rigging along with cruising and racing sails. Bouw said, "I'm excited about growing our business and continuing to provide Quantum customers with the best products and services that meet their needs."

Bouw is a lifelong sailor; he loves the adventure of it knowing that a day on the water is never the same. Over the years, he has raced in a variety of classes including dinghies, beach cats and big boats.

quantumsails.com

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The Helsinki Boat-Afloat Show saw a 6.4% rise in attendance over last year's event. Some 11,272 people visited the show, located in the middle of the Finnish capital.

Summer in the Nordics has been relatively cold, but ended with warm weather before the show started. That, and slightly better economic conditions in Finland, resulted in a positive turnout.

Some 279 boats from 166 exhibitors were on display at the show, which is now in its 40th edition. According to Pajusalo, visitors appreciated an extended exhibition area, broader programme, and more restaurants.

The Finnish boating industry directly employs some 3,500 people, although 4,000-6,000 people in total are employed in peripheral roles. Around 73% of Finnish boat production is exported.

plus.ibinews.com

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HISWA has announced that its in-water boat show will conclude its run at Amsterdam Marina next week. Next year, the show will be held in Lelystad, 40km northeast of Amsterdam.

HISWA director Paul Boomsma said that Lelystad's Bataviahaven offers more parking space and facilities as well as a larger marina. The organiser has signed a five-year deal with the city for the boat show.

Lelystad may not be able to replicate the urban features of Amsterdam, but it has a small airport and is closer to Germany, a key market for Dutch yacht-builders. The final edition in Amsterdam takes place from August 29 to September 3, 2017. The largest in-water show in Northern Europe will have about 250 boats, over 150 exhibitors and an extensive programme of watersports for visitors.

plus.ibinews.com

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GryphonSolo2 Designed by Marc Lombard, this 2014 Atlantic Cup winner is a great all-around performer with exceptionally fast reaching capabilities.

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Contact Andrew Sheriff, CPYB
Dion's Yacht Yard, Salem MA
978-985-7077 mobile
andrew@ecys.com

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Ker 40+ - PACE. 575,000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

PACE is an incredibly well sorted and maintained modified Ker 40+. She has many modifications to the original design making her significantly faster, but without incurring a large handicap increase. National Champion in the Fast 40+ fleet, she wants for nothing, with a fresh wardrobe of sails and turnkey. Perfect yacht for the Fast 40+ fleet or any IRC / ORC regatta.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2007 TP52 - RKO. 440,000 EUR. Located in Sydney, Australia

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+64277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense. -- Carl Sagan

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
New Champions Usher In New Era For Skiff Sailors | 2017 Tornado Worlds: Day 3 and Rest day | (Much) more than furlers | Iain Murray appointed Performance Director of Australian Sailing | Rytov Conquers the 2017 Melges 20 World League, European Division | Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup | Burnham Week Grand Finale | Groupama Race - The world's longest windward/leeward race | Featured Brokerage

New Champions Usher In New Era For Skiff Sailors
Matasinhos, Portugal: Another day meant another obstacle from mother nature at the 2017 International 49er and FX World Championship, where an unstable land breeze teased the gold medal fleets this morning for their 10 AM start. Both the men's 49er and the women's FX skiff started races in 6-10 knots of Easterly breeze, only to see the wind shut off completely as they headed to their respected finish lines.

Some of the 140 teams from 27 nations were jumpy with anticipation and all enjoyed the warm summer Portuguese sun as they waited on the water for the forecast Northerly to fill in, and after nearly 2 and a half hours, it filled quickly. 8 knots became 12 became 16 gusting near 20 knots, allowing the men's 49er fleet to pick up four more races and complete their championship.

Spectators were treated to a full brawl between these top female athletes, with three teams from three different continets battling for the all-important podium spots and the title of 2017 World Champion. It was Rio 2016 all over again, and when leading Rio Bronze Medalists Jena Hansen and Katja Iversen (DEN) capsized with a huge lead during the penultimate race of the event, Rio Gold winners Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze pounced, taking a 2nd place with third place Alex Malone and Molly Meech (NZL, Rio Silver Medalists) took the win.

Reigning European 49er Champions Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell (GBR) had a smoother road than the Danish champs to their first-ever World Championship win, but training partners James Peters and Fynn Sterritt still had a mathematical chance to take them down going into the final race of the championship.

Peters/Sterritt would complete the front row lockout for the British Sailing Team by taking their first Worlds podium, with Austrian standouts Benjamin Bildstein and David Hussl finishing out the money spots and the 2017 Worlds.

49er top five

1. Dylan Fletcher-Scott / Stuart Bithell, GBR, 19.0
2. James Peters / Fynn Sterritt, GBR, 23.0
3. Benjamin Bildstein / David Hussl, AUT, 28.0
4. Lukasz Przybytek / Paweł Kolodzinski, POL, 31.0
5. Justus Schmidt / Max Boehme, GER, 32.0

49erFX top five

1. Jena Mai Hansen / Katja Salskov-Iversen, DEN, 30.0
2. Martine Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 39.0
3. Alexandra Maloney / Molly Meech, NZL, 49.0
4. Ida Marie Baad Nielsen / Marie Thusgaard Olsen, DEN, 69.0
5. Victoria Jurczok / Anika Lorenz, GER, 71.0

49er.org/

2017 Tornado Worlds: Day 3 and Rest day
Multiple world champion Iordanis Paschalides and his 18 y.o. crew Petros Konstantinidis from Greece are getting closer to the title of the world champion as after six races of the they are stable at top of the overall ranking with just 5 points, scoring five first places and one 4th

Steady in the 2nd place of the overall classification with 10 points remains the twin and ex European champs Nikolaos Mavros - Alexandros Tagaropoulos who was 3rd on the first Saturday race and 1st in the second.

In 3rd place overall is the German boat with Bob Baier - Marc Baier having a great date today. Kostas Trigonis and Stavros Tavoularis made their best appearance so far in this world championship and moved to the 4th position of the general ranking after finishing in 2nd and 3rd place in the last two races and are now also claiming a place on the podium of the winners.

Jürgen and Sarah Jentsch are the leaders in the Mixed division. But Zibi Piekarski - Dominika Haltmarova are close behind with just 2 points difference, standing in 2nd. Zdenek Pavlis-Michaela Pavlisova and Markus Betz - Monika Schuster stand in 3rd and 4th place respectively having equal points and ONLY 2 points difference from Piekarski / Dominika.

Sunday was a rest day, racing resumes Monday with a strong north wind expected.

Full results www.tornado-class.org/2017-tornado-worlds-day-3/

(Much) more than furlers
That's where the company first came to international prominence but there's a whole lot more going on at Facnor's facility in beautiful St Vaast

Offshore racing can offer a brutal environment, which is why those who participate seriously are always testing their limits. Equipment also needs to perform to a similar level in the same conditions but has to remain completely reliable under every circumstance. Whether a big professional programme or a Corinthian Vendee racer, failure is not an option.

It is in this milieu that, 35 years ago, Facnor started developing furling systems that could assist sailors in controlling the power needed to cross oceans fast, but at the same time be safe and reliable. Not an easy task.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: seahorsemagazine.com

Iain Murray appointed Performance Director of Australian Sailing
Highly respected and awarded sailor Iain Murray AM joins Australian Sailing as Performance Director, responsible for the Australian Sailing Team and the supporting Performance programs.

Widely recognised for his achievements, Iain's experience from the 2008 Olympic Games, multiple World and Australian Championships and consecutive 18ft Skiff titles will serve the Team well. He is a respected tactician and boat designer who, many decades after his first Australian Championship win in 1973, continues to compete, most recently at Hamilton Island Race Week.

Iain has a long connection with the America's Cup serving as Regatta Director for the 34th and 35th America's Cup campaigns in 2013 and 2017 respectively and was CEO of America's Cup Race Management. In the 1983 America's Cup challenge at Newport, he sailed on Syd Fischer's Advance and in 1987 co-designed and skippered Kookaburra in their campaign against Dennis Connor's Stars and Stripes off Fremantle.

Iain formally commences with Australian Sailing on Wednesday 4 October after competing in the 2017 Etchells World Championship in San Francisco. Prior to his departure he will be meeting with key Performance staff at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Sydney. -- Jane Gordon

sailing.org.au

Rytov Conquers the 2017 Melges 20 World League, European Division
Riva del Garda, Italy: The first edition of the 2017 Melges 20 World League, European Division ended today on the Fraglia Vela Riva racing field.

All the success goes to Igor Rytov's RUSSIAN BOGATYRS who has confirmed that he is the strongest team this season in the International Melges 20 Class fleet.

Occupying second place is Vladimir Prosikhin's NIKA, while Achille Onorato at the helm of MASCALZONE LATINO, JR. is third after five events - Portovenere, Scarlino, Zadar, Sibenik and Riva del Garda.

Italian colors fly high above the Corinthian category with Emanuele Savoini on EVINRUDE in first on the Melges 20 World League, European Division. Wilma Homann on FANTASICHINA placed second followed by Johannes Lind Windstram sailing INTERMEZZO.

The final event also served as the Russian Open in which Dario Levi's FREMITO D'ARJIA finished up in second, Onorato came third.

The next Melges 20 World League event, number thirteen on the circuit out of sixteen is the World Championship taking place in Newport, RI hosted by the New York Yacht Club on October 2-7.

Top Five Results (Final - After Six Races, One Discard)
1. Igor Rytov, Russian Bogatyrs, 8
2. Dario Levi, Fremito D'arjia, 25
3. Achille Onorato/Matteo Savelli, Mascalzone Latino, Jr, 28
4. Manfredi Vianini Tolomei, Maolca, 34
5. Leonid Altukhov, Rus-199, 35

Top Five 2017 Melges 20 World League, Europe Final Results
1. Igor Rytov, Russian Bogatyrs, 90
2. Vladimir Prosikhin, Nika, 83
3. Achille Onorato, Mascalzone Latino, Jr., 82
4. Alexander Ezhkov, Pirogovo, 73
5. Krzysztof Krempec, Mag Tiny, 62

Full results

melgesworldleague.com

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
The 28th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets underway Monday and the talk on the dock is enthusiastic about the prospect of a week of high quality racing among the behemoths of the sailing world. 50 yachts, all over 60 feet, have entered and are primed for the sporting contest that lies ahead. With the organizing club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), marking its 50th anniversary this year, there is an evidently positive and celebratory mood among the owners and crew despite strong winds having kept boats tied firmly to the dock over the past two days.

The Mistral winds currently dominating this area of the Mediterranean are expected to subside overnight. Mike Broughton, the navigator on Claus-Peter Offen's 100-foot Y3K, explained that most weather models had suggested the wind would die this afternoon, but that the one thing predictable when racing here is the unpredictability of the wind: "My feeling is that the high mountains of Sardinia and Corsica have most probably kept winds stronger for longer than expected."

The seven principal classes are: Maxi 72, racing for their World Championship; Wally; Supermaxi; Maxi Racer; Maxi Racer/Cruiser; Mini Maxi Racer and Mini Maxi Racer/Cruiser, which is split into two groups.

Assuming the forecast holds, racing begins at 11.30 CEST tomorrow, 4 September, and continues through to Saturday, 9 September.

www.yccs.it

Burnham Week Grand Finale
Close racing in the Dragon class. Photo by Alan Hanna. Click on image for photo gallery.

Burnham-on-Crouch, UK: Digger Harden sailing the J/80 Glorious Fools with his seasoned team including joint owner Peter Jackson, Doug Duce and Tom Adams have won the coveted Town Cup, to mark the end of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Burnham Week, writes Sue Pelling.

In a new Town Cup three-race/no discard series format, which replaces the traditional one-off race on the final Saturday, competition has been intense. On equal points with one race win apiece from the first weekend Glorious Fools and the Corby 29 Double Trouble sailed by Duncan Haley had everything to play for in today's Town Cup shoot out.

In probably the most wind of the week, reaching no more than 7-8kts Hayley and team sailed well off the line and revelled in conditions; lots of light airs beating, which is the perfect scenario for Hayley's Corby 29 Double Trouble. So quick in those conditions, Double Trouble was leading overall on handicap by three or four minutes. However, a six-mile final run from the mouth of the River, was time enough for the Team Glorious Fools to reel in their opponents and take the overall Town Cup win.

Elsewhere on the River Crouch, the remaining fleets contesting Trophy Day enjoyed equally frustrating shifty conditions, which put crew skills to the ultimate test.

Justin Waples cleaned up in the Royal Corinthian One-Design fleet in both the week series and final Bar Yacht Club Trophy race, while in the ultra strong Squib fleet, which mustered the largest overall fleet entry of 25 boats, former overall Cowes Week winners Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Ramsey/Jackie Hutchings on Lady Penelope won the week series and today's Burnham Week Bowl.

Despite the lack of wind, the Dragon class enjoyed close racing. The boat to beat this week was the skillfully sailed Pageboy XI with Paul Taylor at the helm and crewed by Graeme Page and David Brown.

There was no stopping Andrew Courts and team on Roger Nobel's Hustler SJ 27 Grace and Danger sailed by Stephen Gosling, Robert Noble, Steven Bratt, and Sophie Gosling in today's Class 5 Penrose Fitzgerald Cup. They managed to hold off week series winner Ant Law and team on the pretty International Folkboat Tifano. In Class 6 Jeannie, an Elan 31 sailed by John Saunders won the Roach Trophy.

In memory of the late John Torrance, an active dingy sailor who passed away suddenly nearly a year ago, a special race in his honor was held mid week. Of the total 35 dinghies that took part a National 12 (Ben Harden) won the fast handicap fleet, while the slow handicap was won by an RS Tera Pro (Milly Drew).

www.burnhamweek.com

Groupama Race - The world's longest windward/leeward race
Though considered a race in paradise, like previous editions the sixth biennial Groupama Race around the island of Noumea will prove tactically difficult for all crews who accept the challenge.

Taking between two and a half and five days to complete the 654 nautical mile course due to start on June 17, 2018, the fleet of monohull and multihull yachts will trace a course around New Caledonia, a jewel of the Pacific southwest.

French yachtsman Michel Desjoyeaux, a two-time winner of the Vendee Globe, said, "The weather forecast is beautiful almost all the time. The country is majestic, still very wild, sparsely inhabited with miles of land virtually untouched.

"I was invited to be part of the 2016 race and I was excited at the prospect of visiting New Caledonia, a wild and enchanting island with smiling people who take the time to say hello." An offshore and coastal race

There was little time for pleasantries on Simon Hull's Orma 60 Team Vodafone on the first day of their 2016 race, given they were running under spinnaker at 30 plus knots of boat speed (55 kph).

Placed exactly in the axis of the tradewinds, the Groupama Race is both an offshore and coastal race that offers sailors the opportunity to strategize and navigate the best route based on the sea state, currents and weather. For Desjoyeaux, "the Groupama Race is an Olympic course on the scale of an island."

The route is simple enough. Under the direction of the organising club, Cercle Nautique Caledonien Yacht Club, the fleet start off their journey in Noumea and finish back at Noumea with only two compulsory points they must pass on the northernmost point of the island.

When the fleet passes the southernmost point of New Caledonia, high-speed downwind rides are possible for the next 24-48hrs.

For the first time in Groupama Race history, four different feeder races leaving from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland will coincide to deliver their respective fleets to Noumea in time for the June 17 start.

Download the NOR and Expression of Interest groupamarace.nc/telechargement

Featured Brokerage
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See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

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Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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2017 Ker 33 - New Build. 189,000 USD. Located in China.

The first dual-purpose cruiser/racer from the McConaghy/Ker partnership. Huge promise whilst on the race track as usual, but some proper interior comfort.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com

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2013 Botin 65 - Caro. POA. Located in La Ciotat, France.

Stunning cruiser / racer from the board of Botin. Extremely fast and comfortable, with a chic interior and very competitive inshore and offshore.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. -- Swami Vivekananda

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Nenad Bugarin Masters Balaton Breeze | Day of surprises kicks off Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup | Where Sailing Comes First but the Rum is a Close Second? | Seahorse Sailor Of The Month | Clipper Fleet Approaching The Doldrums | Ocean Safety raises the game for Clipper Fleet | Guest Editorial - Jock Wishart | World Sailing invites bids for World Cup Series events | Featured Brokerage

Nenad Bugarin Masters Balaton Breeze
Nenad Bugarin, from Croatia, is the early leader at the 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup at Balatonfoldvar, Hungary. Two very tricky races in shifty and patchy conditions left much of the fleet with at least one high score, but home favourite, Zsombor Berecz is second, with Piotr Kula, from Poland, in third. Ed Wright, from Britain, won the first race, while Bugarin won the second.

The time for preparation had ended and it was time to race. In the end 113 Finns made it to the start line for some tight and tricky racing with the wind shifting hugely and varying from 10-16 knots.

As one old and wise coach offered today, that in conditions like these, you are either very good or very unlucky. The good and the unlucky enjoyed a pizza party after racing and can look forward to two more races on Tuesday in slightly less wind but probably at least the same amount of trickiness.

Racing continues Tuesday at 10.00. -- Robert Deaves

Results after two races
1. Nenad Bugarin, CRO, 5 points
2. Zsombor Berecz, HUN, 9
3. Piotr Kula, POL, 12
4. Max Salminen, SWE, 13
5. Jonathan Lobert, FRA, 16
6. Deniss Karpak, EST, 21
7. Ondrej Teply, CZE, 21
8. Ioannis Mitakis, GRE, 25
9. Nicholas Heiner, NED, 29
10. Facundo Olezza, ARG, 30

2017.finngoldcup.org

Day of surprises kicks off Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Racing began today at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship in Porto Cervo. This annual event is jointly organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, this year celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the International Maxi Association, the body sanctioned by World Sailing to represent the Maxi classes.

It was a day of surprises for the seven classes competing. Firstly, there were the conditions: despite an 8 knot forecast, the course down the length of 'Bomb Alley' to the island of Spargi and back, eventually was seeing gusts of 15+ knots, albeit patchy.

Most delighted by his team's performance was winner of the Wally Class, Toni Cacace, owner of the Wally 94 Magic Blue. She was first Wally today despite being the sole boat in the 11-strong class not to have competed at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup before, under her present ownership. The building breeze today favoured smaller boats while the start was very stressful with these glamorous sailing giants all stacked up at the committee boat.

While the smaller Wally 77 Lyra and Wally 80 Nahita filled the podium on IRC corrected time, among the big Wallys, the Wallycento Galateia won.

In the Maxi 72s, defending Rolex World Champion Hap Fauth's Bella Mente won today, despite the team of the International Maxi Association Vice President having had a disappointing season.

In the Super Maxis, International Maxi Association member Filip Balcaen came ashore assuming his Baltic 112 Nilaya had scored a deep result. In fact, she had won ahead of Salvatore Trifiro's new 32.6m long Malcolm McKeon design, Ribelle.

In the Mini Maxi Racing class, Sir Peter Ogden's Vrolijk 72 Jethou was the clear winner ahead of American Bryon Ehrhart's Reichel Pugh 63, Lucky, recent winner of the Palermo-Montecarlo Race.

Racing continues tomorrow with a first start at 1130. The Maxi 72s and Wallys will sail windward-leewards and the other classes coastal courses.

Racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship takes places from 4th until 9th September with a layday scheduled for Thursday 7th September. -- James Boyd / www.sailingintelligence.com

www.yccs.it

www.internationalmaxiassociation.com

Mix that with a Fever-Tree ginger beer and you have the Perfect Storm.

www.sailingweek.com

Seahorse Sailor Of The Month
Last month's winner:

Richard Meacham (NZL)
Fair's fair, but when was Seahorse ever fair? The man credited with manhandling ETNZ's boats past every obstacle and getting his crew out rain or shine had his own moment of fame 'on' the bow with Team NZ in 2007. 'No one worked harder' - Burns Fallow; 'Mr Reliable'- Pete Melvin; 'Rock solid' - Kevin Dibley; 'An unwavering commitment to friends, employers and teammates alike' - Tom Schnackenberg; 'An outstanding professional' - Kyle Langford, Oracle (classy); 'Cheeky Dick finally got his smile back' - Giovanni Belgrano.

This month's nominees:

Mathias Coutts (NZL)
Mathias is the new Under-13 Bic O'pen World Champion - a title we expect only to grow in significance as the sailing world wakes up to the importance of getting young talent into modern boats at the earliest opportunity. Enough preaching... 11-year-old Mathias took six wins in 12 races with a worst placing of 8th in a 55-strong fleet at Lake Garda, racing against entries from 12 countries. Word is that Mathias's 'coach' came for free...

Stephen Baker (USA)
There is some ferocious young talent emerging right now: Baker has been on a roll for a while but when he won the 2017 US Optimist Nationals in August people really started to sit up and take notice - including now head of US Olympic sailing, Australian double gold medallist Malcolm Page. Seven races, seven wins, discarding a 1st place in a 103-boat fleet. Impressive? In fact, the whole US Oppi squad is humming right now

Seahorse Sailor of the Month is sponsored by Henri Lloyd, Harken McLube & Dubarry. Who needs silverware, our prizes are usable!

Cast your vote, submit comments, even suggest a candidate for next month at seahorsemagazine.com/sailor-of-the-month/vote-for-sailor-of-the-month

View past winners of Sailor of the Month

Clipper Fleet Approaching The Doldrums
The Doldrums Corridor is fast approaching and with current weather predictions favouring teams towards the back of the fleet, it will be tactically fascinating to watch over the coming days.

While yet to officially enter the Doldrums Corridor, the latest weather reports show the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or dreaded Doldrums as it is commonly known, is north, giving the fleet a taste of what is to come.

The searing heat is another indication the Doldrums are not far away, with Dale Smyth, Skipper of the ninth placed Dare To Lead, commenting: "A good 24 hour run on Dare To Lead, and we are managing to gain some ground on the group in front of us. However, this morning is incredibly light in the lee of the Cape Verde islands but at least still we are still managing to make progress.

"The heat on board is oppressive, even right through the night, so sleeping becomes difficult, with dashes to the deck to get out of the sauna below deck."

On the leader board, Qingdao still holds a slim lead over the second placed GREAT Britain, and Skipper Chris Kobusch says that the conditions are definitely changing, as the Doldrums Corridor approaches.

Fleet tracking: clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings

Ocean Safety raises the game for Clipper Fleet
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is now underway and safety is, as always, top priority. Technology continues to improve and that gives the organisers ever more scope for ensuring crews are kept as safe as possible on the oceans. Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston tells Ocean Safety: "There's one thing that is paramount in ocean racing - safety, safety, safety." So, stepping up to the challenge Ocean Safety has supplied each crew member with a Kru lifejacket fitted, for the first time, with an Ocean Signal RescueMe MOB1. That means if someone goes overboard their signal will be immediately picked up on the yacht's AIS receiver and that of any vessel in the vicinity, so they can be located and rescued without delay.

Ocean Safety, the UK's largest marine safety equipment supplier, has supplied these along with a comprehensive range of onboard equipment for each of the twelve yachts.

Included is the latest Ocean SOLAS Compact liferaft, a space saving raft which was introduced to the skippers as part of their recent training package. Other new equipment includes flares, tether lines, traditional horseshoes and danbuoys for recovering crew from the water.

www.oceansafety.com

Guest Editorial - Jock Wishart
America's Cup has never been about Sport has it?? But what if it was?

I dream:

An event which is television friendly, (essential that both competitors are on the same screen) appeals to the "masses", yet incorporates all the accepted sailing skills so it is attractive to the sailors amongst us!

America's Cup has been many different things over the years:- from fleet race to match race, from "lead mine" monohulls to "state of the art" multihulls:- there is nothing set in stone.

A.C.35 was technologically amazing, the visuals fantastic and the use of boundaries helped contain the action but you need more than technology to make good television.

Quite frankly after the first few races and being impressed by the sheer speed of it all it was "boring". Sailing skills as we know it were not represented with four out of six of the crew primarily responsible to maintain a level of hydraulic pressure which a mini generator could achieve.

Oh for a tack,gybe,set :-the complexity and risks involved and not at least the skilled crewwork required

Ok to the "nitty gritty"

MONOHULLS

Let's get back into monohulls all be it foiling one's. Remember Formula1 cars are NOT the fastest cars on the race circuit they just look it!

Maybe 60 footers with 12 man crews a bit like the 12 metres so that there is real teamwork required.(We follow rugby because of the myriad of skills involved (so let us think Rugby Union on Water).

In any case why would you want to stay in multihulls this will just discourage new entries otherwise the "rich just get richer"

Maybe built to some form of box rule. Its vitally important that the speed differentials are little between the boats for good television

Monohulls that can be used over a wider wind range:- Television scheduling hates cancellations

With slighty slower speeds and no risk of "pitch poling" perhaps we can get rid of the helmets and "see people" again

FOILS

SHOULD be retractable, so before the "start gun" foils are not allowed so the boats are much slower and we can therefore have proper "match racing" an important TV ingredient. Similarly rather as in F1 where you would only be allowed to use the Kers "overdrive" on certain parts of the circuit make at least one if not all the downwind legs non foil so that symmetric downwind kites WILL be used. Maybe even insisting that Symmetrical kites must be used on one downwind leg:- back to spinnaker poles and ripped kites which is all great TV

To keep costs down limit the number of Spis that can be carried.

Some technical challenges here but remember for AC 34 they did not expect foiling catamarans

NATIONALITIES

Spectators want to cheer on and associate themselves with their own nationalities rather than a crowd of mercenaries: enough said.

Maybe institute a 75% national rule so the emerging countries can at least have some help. This also encourages talent growth in each nation.

COURSES

Windward - leeward but would it not be great to have a reaching leg.

With so many variables let's make a proper "game" of it and in any case the boats are slower: 40 minutes sounds about right may be stretch to an hour.

NO lower or upper wind limit: "are we men or are we mice"

BOUNDARIES

Keep: It is essential for the TV public to see both boats on one screen

BUILD

So difficult with international companies involved.

Just make 50% must be built in your home country.

I dream!! but if it starts a few "hares running" it is good for sailing.

World Sailing invites bids for World Cup Series events
World Sailing is inviting Host Cities and Member National Authorities to bid for Sailing's World Cup Series Final in 2018 and 2019 as well as the European Round in 2019 and 2020. World Cup Series Final Bid Guide

World Cup Series Round Bid Guide

Kiel, Germany was awarded the 2018 edition of the World Cup Series Final, to be held alongside the world famous Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) sailing festival, at World Sailing's 2016 Annual Conference. However due to conflicts of Kieler Woche and World Sailing commercial partners, a contract was unable to be concluded.

World Sailing is now seeking a European Host City for the 2018 and 2019 World Cup Series Final with excellent sailing conditions, world class on-shore facilities for the world's leading sailors and spectator areas.

The 2017/2018 World Cup Series will commence in Japan this October followed by the American Round in Miami and the French round in Hyeres in 2018. The Host City selected by World Sailing will be expected to host the World Cup Final in June / early July.

Japan will host the start of the 2018/2019 series in October 2018 with the American Round following in January 2018. The European venue selected for 2018/2019 will host sailors at the end of April with the Final to follow thereafter.

Member National Authorities or Host Cities interested in bidding for either the Final or Round should contact competitions@sailing.org for further information.

World Sailing must receive bids via competitions@sailing.org by 2nd October 2017 and the decision will be made on the winning bids at the World Sailing Board meeting in early November 2017. -- Daniel Smith, World Sailing

* Statement from Kiel Week:

Thanks to the perfect organisation on site, the different business partners from World Sailing and Kiel Week did master the challenge and promote the Paralympic sailing sport.

So the hope was to continue this cooperation between World Sailing and the Kiel Week Organisation for the next year by integrating the World Cup Series Finals into the Kiel Week or connecting them to the event. "The sports cooperation fits well, the date is coherent, but we have too many competing business partners. We want to grant the Kiel Week partners exclusivity and do not see any adequate solution to enable the partners of World Sailing an appearance at the Kiel Week without endangering long-term partnerships", explains Sven Christensen, Managing Director of Point of Sailing, Marketing Agency of the Kiel Week.

"But the good contact with World Sailing will continue and were are aiming to set up concepts together in the future, but not in 2018", explains Ramhorst.

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2017 Libertist 850 PRICE Located in

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+33 (0)2 51 51 46 45

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1997 Farr 30 "Barking Mad". 130,000.00 USD. Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Barking Mad is a world championship level Farr 30 that has been full-time professionally maintained to the highest degree with no expense spared to keep it in better-than-new condition.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tink Chambers
Stagg Yachts
tink@staggyachts.com
+1.410.268.1001

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Neil Armstrong, that spaceman, he went to the moon but he ain’t been back. It can’t have been that good. -- Karl Pilkington

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Gimson and Burnett Lead GBR 1-2 After US Crew Penalised At Nacra 17 Worlds | Tornado World Championships | Yacht Racing Forum: Time to register! | Germany wins Inshore Trophy of Nord Stream Race | Fortini Wins J/80 Obelix Trophy France | GAC Pindar Steal Series Lead and Event Win Off Home Team in Aarhus | Passione - Persico | Blast off! Best foiling catamaran action from the GC32 Racing Tour | New TV Series To Explore 'Ireland's Deep Atlantic' | RORC Cherbourg Race | America's Cup bases must be built in Auckland by 2019 | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Gimson and Burnett Lead GBR 1-2 After US Crew Penalised at Nacra 17 Worlds
American duo Riley Gibbs and Louisa Chafee had led the Nacra 17 World Championships after the first three qualifying races were contested in light, sub 10 kt breezes and pleasant sunshine off La Grande Motte's Baie de Aigues Mortes. They were protested after racing for a measurement infringement and penalised, ceding the lead to Britain's John Gimson and Anna Burnett.

As if to answer the question whether the younger generation can make a big impression at these first ever foiling Nacra World Championships, foiling kiteboarder and 49er racer Gibbs, 21, paired with Rio Olympian Chafee, 25, had opened with an opening second and two first places from their 24 strong Blue fleet group and were credited with the provisional early lead of the championship. But they were subsequently protested and penalised for sailing with the rubber bushes at the top of the foils removed, contrary to the International Jury's interpretation of the measurement rules.

The young Americans, training partners of injured Bora Gulari and Helena Scutt who - Scutt reported after the hearing - had already trained with the bushes removed in order to preserve maximum strength in the head area rather than seek a performance gain were it to allow the foil to drop lower. "This is not about any performance gain this is about the strength in that part of the board." Scutt emphasised after the hearing. "We had the boards not once, but twice, to measurement like that and so we considered it was fine." Added USA coach David Howlett.

With the young American pair receiving a 50 per cent place penalty for each of their races, John Gimson and Anna Burnett now lead a British Sailing Team 1-2 at the top of the World Championship standings with New Zealand's Rio Olympians Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders in third.

Racing will start at 1100hrs Wednesday with a forecast for NW'ly breeze in the morning.

nacra17.org/events/2017-world-championship/

Tornado World Championships
Dany Paschalidis and Petros Konstantinidis from Greece are the 2017 Tornado Worlds Champions in the overall category

Zdenek Pavlis and 17-year-old Michaela Pavlisova from Czech Republic are the 2017 Tornado Worlds Mixed champions.

7th title in a row for Dany Paschalidis who accepted the challenge and sailed without Kostas Trigonis but with a young promising talent, Petros. It was Petro's first ride on this boat. What to say for this crew! They scored 7 bullets, a second and a fourth place.

Zdenek Pavlis and Michaela Pavlisova fight for this title 10 years now and wanted it so much. After their excellent performance this year they made it, finishing also 7th in the overall category.

The wind did not seem promising due to the clouds this morning but a rather northern breeze came in at around 3pm. Many wind shifts though resulted in a race that was abandoned. The RC decided to wait for the wind to get more stable and managed to start the one and only race of the day that included many shifts in direction and strength (from 6 to 12 knots).

Full results

Yacht Racing Forum: Time to register!
The Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Aarhus, Denmark, on November 27-28.

Many of the sports key personalities and brands have already confirmed their participation. Don't miss the opportunity!

It will be a great event, informative and fun, and an excellent opportunity to network and do business!

The Yacht Racing Forum will focus on three key areas that impact everyone in the industry: Business & Marketing, Design & Technology and Risk Management & Safety.

Germany wins Inshore Trophy of Nord Stream Race
Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) has won the Inshore Trophy of the Nord Stream Race after winning two of the three short-course heats this afternoon in Helsinki.

Just as in Copenhagen a week ago, the German team skippered by British sailor Hugh Brayshaw proved to be the best at handling the ClubSwan 50 around a short course, on this occasion in winds gusting over 20 knots. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) won the first race of the day, making Kenneth Thelen's team second from today's competition and also placing them second overall in the Inshore Series, beating Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) on tie-break.

The fourth and final leg of the Nord Stream Race set off from Helsinki, this evening. At 170 nautical miles, this deciding leg of the offshore race organised by St. Petersburg Yacht Club will see the international crews sail towards the eastern end of the Baltic Sea as they race towards the finish line in St Petersburg.

The leg is expected to take around 24 hours, with the fleet looking to arrive in St Petersburg on Wednesday evening. -- Andy Rice, www.sailingintelligence.com

Nord Stream Inshore Trophy
1. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) - 2
2. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) - 5
3. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) - 5
4. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) - 8
5. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) - 10

Nord Stream Trophy - overall results after three offshore legs
1. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) - 4
2. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) - 8
3. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) - 9
4. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) - 11
5. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) - 13

Race tracker: www.nord-stream-race.com/eng/race-tracker

Fortini Wins J/80 Obelix Trophy France
Benodet, France: Created in 1971 by Dominique le Page and Erwan Quemere, the Obelix Trophy that took place from August 25th to 27th has become over the years an essential rendezvous for all those who sail during the summer in France.

The event takes place every year and brings together J/80s and over 100 other sailboats on the Benodet Lake. The Obelix Trophy, also counts for the overall season championship, the J/80 Coupe de France.

This year's event enjoyed the most beautiful sailing conditions in a wonderful place!

Reveling in the conditions was Damien Fortini's crew on J-GANTESQUE from CN Lorient. His crew consisted of Stephane Brouillet, Anne Le Gouguec, Julien Le Granvalet, and Nathan Meric-Pons- a mostly Lorient-based crew. However, their record of 2-1-5-1 for 9 pts meant they had to win on a tie-breaker, based on number of 1sts, over Anne Phelipon's NAVIGATLANTIQUE crew from Societe Regate Rochelaises that had a 1-3-2-3 tally. Anne's crew consisted of Bertrand Nun, Thomas Haddouche, and Loig Leon.

Rounding the top three for the regatta was Xavier Tinel's team from CN Lorient on JEROBOAM MARINE LORIENT (Christophe Audic, Christophe Dreyer and Julien Bregegere). Their record of 3-5-1-2 for 11 pts meant they were just two points off the pace! For more J/80 Obelix Trophy sailing

Full results

www.classej80france.com/obelix-trophy-2017/

GAC Pindar Steal Series Lead and Event Win Off Home Team in Aarhus
Aarhus, Denmark: Returning to Aarhus as the team to beat from 2016 the British lineup, skippered by Ian Williams, showed huge growth as they climbed the podium positions through the weekend's racing to end a solid seven points clear of the chasing pack. A crowded shoreline was on hand to cheer home the two local Danish teams who were greeted with dramatic racing on the tightest and closest-to-shore racecourse seen on the 2017 M32 Series Scandinavia. The local teams may not have finished this regatta on top but they sure put on a show for their supporters.

The GAC Pindar Team showed great progression through the week, finishing day one in third spot, day two in second, before finally topping the table on the final day.

With the British team GAC Pindar winning in Aarhus, they join Wallen Racing with two event wins each on the series.

The Brits take the top spot on the leaderboard, but with just two points between the teams if either win the event in Stockholm they will also lift the overall M32 Series Scandinavia trophy. Still in with a shot at glory in the finals is both Swedish entries, Flux Team and Essiq Racing Team.

Both will look to impress their Swedish home fans as the series concludes with a double-point finale in Stockholm in just two weeks.

Finals action will run 14-16th September in the Swedish capital on the Riddarfjarden just off Norr Malastrand.

Final results:
1. GAC Pindar, Ian Williams, GBR, 52 points
2. Flux Team, Johnie Berntsson, SWE, 59
3. Essiq Racing Team, Nicklas Dackhammar, SWE, 69
4. Wallen Racing, Jonas Warrer, DEN, 75
5. Trifork, Michael Hestbaek, DEN, 93

m32world.com/scandinavia/

Passione - Persico
A boatbuilding team utterly obsessed with producing the best boats in the world... the lightest, the strongest and the fastest. An ethos that spreads from the Persico CEO to the men and women who drive the forklifts

Talking about the WallyCento that is currently nearing completion, Marcello Persico is clearly more than a little excited about the future of this class. 'I consider it the top class you can race with a boat that also offers a relatively high standard of comfort. There is nothing comparable at the moment. You have to choose either a pure racing machine or a comfortable superyacht,' he says.

Pictured at right: When the 3rd WallyCento Magic Carpet went afloat it was clearly a step forward in terms of both saving weight in the build and keeping the weight out of the ends. Boat no4, seen here, is certain to be an even bigger game changer in an already jaw-dropping racing class

The WallyCento class has taken a few years to develop, but that shouldn't be a surprise when you consider the complexity of such a high-end yacht. Each WallyCento takes years to develop and bring to fruition.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Blast off! Best foiling catamaran action from the GC32 Racing Tour
High speed foiling and most dramatic moments from the ultra-speed GC32 catamarans from this year's GC32 Racing Tour events in Riva del Garda, Villasimius and Copa del Rey MAPFRE.

New TV Series To Explore 'Ireland's Deep Atlantic'
Ireland's Deep Atlantic is a new three-part TV documentary exploring the fascinating sights in the waters west of this island.

The series will be broadcast as part of RTe's recently announced autumn schedule, according to TheJournal.ie, and comprises footage captured by Sea Fever Productions from the RV Celtic Explorer on expedition in the North Atlantic.

The team behind Ireland's Deep Atlantic previously produced Ireland's Ocean, a four-part series for RTe that documented the bounty of wildlife closer to Irish shores,

afloat.ie

TheJournal.ie has more on the story

RORC Cherbourg Race
Ker 46 Lady Mariposa, skippered by Daniel Hardy, has won the 2017 Cherbourg Race, after holding off a strong challenge from James Neville's HH42 Ino XXX. After IRC time correction, 29 seconds was the winning margin, after a high speed blast to Cherbourg across the English Channel. Edward Broadway's Ker 40 Hooligan VII was third, completing the podium for overall honours. The 75 mile race featured a tight reach west out of the Solent, followed by a moon-lit downwind sprint to Cherbourg across the English Channel.

In IRC Zero, Lady Mariposa was the winner, and now leads the class for the season. Ross Hobson's Open 50 Pegasus Of Northumberland, racing Two Handed, was second for the Cherbourg Race, and Stephen Durkin's Farr 52 Bob, sailed by Jonathan Tyrrell, was third. In IRC One, Ino XXX was the winner, and now leads the class for the season. Hooligan VII was second for the Cherbourg Race, and Tor McLaren's MAT 1180 Gallivanter, sailed by Andrew Horrocks, was third.

In IRC Two, the race winner was Nick & Suzi Jones' First 44.7 Lisa, sailed by RORC Commodore Michael Boyd. Lisa was just seven seconds ahead of Gilles Fournier's J/133 Pintia, after IRC time correction. Christopher Daniel's J/122e Juno was third.

In IRC Three, Ed Fishwick's Sun Fast 3600 Redshift Reloaded, racing was the winner by less than a minute after IRC time correction. Delamare & Mordret's JPK 1080, Dream Pearls was second, and Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing Two Handed, was third.

In IRC Two Handed, Redshift Reloaded was the winner, Bellino second, and Ian Hoddle's Sun Fast 3600 Game On was third. Bellino has retained the lead in IRC Two Handed for the RORC Season's Points Championship.

In IRC Four, Jerome Desvaux's Sprint 108 Jurassic - Captain Corsaire, scored a memorable victory over fellow French competitor Noel Racine, racing JPK 10.10 Foggy Dew. Paul Kavanagh's S&S Swan 44 Pomeroy Swan, was third for the race, and moves up to second, behind Foggy Dew, for the RORC Season's Points Championship.

www.rorc.org

America's Cup bases must be built in Auckland by 2019
Auckland has less than two years to build facilities for the America's Cup defence, it emerged today.

Auckland councillors heard the city needs to have facilities built by mid-2019 when the first challenger syndicates arrive in Auckland for the 2021 defence.

Urgent work is underway to consider the options for basing the syndicates on the Auckland waterfront, which include a 60m to 80m Halsey Wharf extension north of the Viaduct Harbour, an extension to Westhaven Marina and Captain Cook Wharf.

Panuku Waterfront chief operating officer David Rankin said there is not much time considering the complexity of the issues and involvement of different parties, including Auckland Council and central government.

"There is a lot to pull together," he said.

Mayor Phil Goff said the decision to hold the defence of the cup had still not been made by Team New Zealand and would only be made if there was a suitable place for the syndicate bases.

He has instructed council chief executive Stephen Town to work with council bodies to look at all the options and come back to councillors with what works and achieves a legacy for Auckland.

"I'm not interested in funding the race. I am interested in an infrastructure legacy for Auckland in the same way the Viaduct Basin was (for the first America's Cup defence in 2000)," Goff said. -- Bernard Orsman in the New Zealand Herald

www.nzherald.co.nz

* From Alistair Skinner:

Great article by Jock Wishart. My only hope is that he wrote is based on leaked information from the ETNZ/Luna Rossa AC36 Protocol, or if he didn't that they read his article before finalising their document.

He is so right, the first time you see a human cannonball or a Space Shuttle launch is a real "ooh-Ah" moment - the 10th time, or even the 2nd time it is not quite so exciting just as the first foiling tack left a feeling of 'how did they do that!' then ... yawn ...when is this going to end.

Someone talked of the action of the AC35. Almost less tacks in the whole AC 35 Match than on the final beat of the final race of 1983. Now THAT was action!

Featured Brokerage
2011 AkilariaRC2 GryphonSolo2. 240,000 USD Located in Portland, Maine, USA

GryphonSolo2 Designed by Marc Lombard, this 2014 Atlantic Cup winner is a great all-around performer with exceptionally fast reaching capabilities.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact Andrew Sheriff, CPYB
Dion's Yacht Yard, Salem MA
978-985-7077 mobile
andrew@ecys.com

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Ker 40+ - PACE. 575,000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

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1997 Farr 30 "Barking Mad". Price Reduced to $99,900. Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Barking Mad is a world championship level Farr 30 that has been full-time professionally maintained to the highest degree with no expense spared to keep it in better-than-new condition.

Complete details, full listing and photos are at www.staggyachts.com

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Tink Chambers
Stagg Yachts
tink@staggyachts.com
+1.410.268.1001

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
The people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims, they are accomplices. -- George Orwell

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Dorade Takes the Podium in First Two Events of "Dorade Down Under" Campaign | Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: A Masterpiece Of A Day | A great response to open registration for Grenada Sailing Week 29 Jan to 3 Feb 2018 | Most Common Repairs At Sea For Yachts Sailing Across The Atlantic? | Atlantic Class US Nationals | How Briton sailed a junk single-handed from Hong Kong to US | Born in the Volvo - Available to All | A for awful? | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Dorade Takes the Podium in First Two Events of "Dorade Down Under" Campaign
Dorade at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2017. Photo by Andrea Francolini, www.afrancolini.com. Click on image to enlarge.

Hamilton Island, Australia: The "Dorade Down Under" campaign is in full swing, and Dorade, the 86-year-old Sparkman & Stephens classic yacht, is proving yet again that age is just a number with the team taking podium finishes in the first two events of its five-race series off the southern coast of Australia.

"Dorade is an amazing yacht to be in the hunt against some very competitive modern boats at a very technical venue," said Tactician Kevin Miller about Dorade taking third place in the 370-mile Brisbane to Keppel Race and second place in IRC Passage Division 2 at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, both of which concluded last month. "The boat and the team are performing well down here, even up against conditions that aren't ideal for Dorade. She is an incredible yacht and always seems to surprise us.

"We're just coming off of a very challenging week competing against a very talented fleet at Hamilton Island Race Week, and although we're tired, we have a great feeling of accomplishment and look forward to our next challenge."

Before taking on the 628-nautical mile Rolex Sydney Hobart Race in December, the "Dorade Down Under" team will head to New South Wales in October for the Bass Island Race and to Sydney in November for the Bird Island Race.

Dorade.org

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: A Masterpiece Of A Day
Photo of Ribelle by Ingrid Abery www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photos from Ingrid and Max Ranchi www.maxranchi.com

Porto Cervo, Italy: The third day of racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Rolex Maxi72 World Championship was especially satisfying. The Mistral breezes kicked in just as predicted so the Maxi 72 and the Wally Classes managed to get two races in while the rest of the fleet raced along a spectacular 31 nm course through the archipelago, clockwise around La Maddalena and Caprera after rounding Isolotto dei Monaci on the left.

First places across the various Classes are currently held by: Momo (Maxi 72), Ribelle (Supermaxi), Rambler 88 (Maxi), Galateia (Wally), Jethou (Mini Maxi R), Supernikka (Mini Maxi RC1), H2O (Mini Maxi RC2).

Starting procedures got underway as scheduled at 11:30 with the Classes competing in the coastal race heading off toward Isolotto dei Monaci in northwesterly breezes at about 12 knots. By the afternoon the wind had built to 20 knots with gusts at up to 23.

The Baltic 108' Win Win won the Supermaxi Class today in front of Ribelle, sailing with Francesco De Angelis at the helm. The later yacht is still in the lead overall. George David's Rambler 88 won the Maxi Class but is tied for the lead overall with the 82' Highland Fling XI, owned by YCCS member Sir Irvine Laidlaw. The Wallycento Galateia placed first in one race and second in the other today and is currently leading her Class followed by the 80' Nahita (4-2) and Lyra (5-6).

Sir Peter Ogden's 72' Jethou continues to lead the Mini Maxi R Class after placing first again today. She is followed by Bryon Ehrhart's Lucky and Spectre, owned by Peter Dubens. The Mini Maxi RC1 Class saw Roberto Lacorte's Supernikka win the day's coastal race and capture the Class lead with just one point on Wallyno. The Mini Maxi RC2s saw Riccardo De Michele's Vallicelli 80' H2O, with tactician Lorenzo Bodini, beat Giuseppe Puttini's Swan 65 Shirlaf by just one point.

Tomorrow only the Maxi 72 and Wally Classes will compete to make up for the race they missed yesterday due to light winds. It will be lay day for the other Classes. Mistral breezes at 20 to 25 knots are forecast and tomorrow evening will see the YCCS host their Crew Party in piazza Azzurra.

www.yccs.com

A great response to open registration for Grenada Sailing Week 29 Jan to 3 Feb 2018
Building on the success of last year's regatta, Grenada Sailing Week has had a great initial response to the opening of online registration.

The regatta would not be what it is without the loyal support of Title and Race Day sponsors. Title Sponsor: Island Water World has been supporting the event since its onset in 2013. They have been serving sailors for over 50 years and are the Caribbean's leading chandlers.

Race Day Sponsors: Mount Gay is a long term supporter of the regatta, their rum, and their sought after Red Caps and Red Cap party are a highlight of the event. Secret Harbour Marina a more recent sponsor is a first class marina and boutique hotel. Sea Hawk manufacturers of performance antifouling paints and coatings have loyally and enthusiastically supported the event since its inception. Grenada Tourism Authority have been with us since the beginning and recognise the importance of our regional and international participants that are integral to the development of tourism in Grenada.

www.grenadasailingweek.com

Sign up for our newsletter online, Email: info@grenadasailingweek.com, Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek, or Twitter @grenadasailweek

Most Common Repairs At Sea For Yachts Sailing Across The Atlantic?
We surveyed nearly all 290 yachts in the 2016 ARC transatlantic to find out what broke and how it was fixed; what worked and what didn't.

You cannot presume to be able to sail across an ocean without experiencing some problems or breakages with your equipment. We issued the 290 yachts sailing in the 2016 ARC and ARC+, transatlantic rallies with a survey to detail their breakages and solutions.

The first thing you notice from the results is that there were few empty columns for yachts without problems. In total, 167 yachts, or nearly 60 per cent of the fleet, had a breakage.

Problems are of course to be expected, but breakages can spoil voyages. One of the best ways to avoid them is to learn from others' mistakes.

The most common casualties were ripped sails and breakages caused by chafe - which, going on past feedback, is nothing new. But prudent seamanship, plus routine checks and maintenance will limit these.

A worrying number of yachts had problems and breakages with their vangs and gooseneck fittings - something we see time after time, so we have dedicated a large section of the results report to this. -- Toby Hodges, Yachting World

Full survey information

Knut Frostad talks about taking part in ARC 2016

Atlantic Class US Nationals
Steve Benjamin, representing Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, has won the 88th National Championship held by Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club at Blue Hill, Maine. With his crew of Chris Larson, Ian Liberty and Brooks Daley aboard A128 Cassidy, Benj posted scores of 6,1,5,4,4,9. Second was Mark Foster from Cedar Point YC in A140 Thistle; third A135 Rascal, Peter Smith of KYC.

It was a fine week for weather, though at times the wind was baffling for the visitors, and local knowledge played a part. Some likened it to lake sailing, with winds coming from directions that were hard to predict. Still, the cream soon came to the top as usual.

At least 10 of the 33 competing boats had more than one family member in the crew. And for the first time since 1996 a Nationals race was won by a female skipper: Lindsay Doyle, a member of the University of Vermont sailing team, steered A102 Rival with her father Jim crewing.

When it came down to the last championship race, Benj was the most consistent skipper, having finished no lower than sixth place so far. By winning Races 4 and 5 David Peck had a slightly better score after the discard, but had a 16th from the first race that he now needed to lose. No such luck. Benj hunted down Miss April from the start and pushed her down the fleet, the Pecks eventually finishing in 19th place, clinching the title for Cassidy. Mark Foster and Peter Smith followed very close on points, both having a strong last race.

Full Results

atlanticclass.org

How Briton sailed a junk single-handed from Hong Kong to US
Click on image to enlarge.

Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie is regarded as being the first person to sail solo across the North Pacific from west to east, in 1962, but credit should arguably go to Brian Platt, a Hong Kong-born Briton who made the journey in 1959

Setting sailing records requires people who are a little out of the ordinary, and while Hong Kong might be the last place one would expect to find such records being made, or the eccentric oddballs making them, this coastal city - in matters maritime, at least - often throws up wonderful surprises and characters.

From most lists of sailing records, you'll learn that the first person to journey west to east across the North Pacific Ocean single-handed was Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie, who voyaged from Kobe to San Francisco over 94 days in 1962.

Horie also made two circumnavigations of the globe and two additional transpacific voyages - both in yachts built from recycled materials. Now 78 years old, he is undoubtedly a great sailor, a dedicated environmentalist and, by all accounts, a charming chap. But the claim that Horie was the first to sail single-handedly west to east across the North Pacific doesn't give due credit to a fascinating forerunner. The honour should, in fact, go to a determined Hong Kong-born sailor who - bar a few miles motor sailing to save his skin - made the voyage in a locally built junk as early as 1959...

... On Christmas Eve 1959, pinpointing his position by lighthouses blinking their welcome, Platt was just 30km north of the landfall he had decided to aim for after the High Tea had been dismasted: the small, northern California town of Eureka.

It had been a truly exceptional feat of navigation given fatigue, stress, winter weather and skies, and the liveliness of a very small boat. Platt had indeed learned to navigate while he had sailed.

Two record-making transpacific junk voyages separated by 48 years and a few months, taking respectively 70 and 69 days, both having started their long voyages in Hong Kong, both arriving in Eureka, California, and both heading on to San Francisco. If both have their claims to our admiration, the first of them was an epic of guts and survival.

Despite the High Tea's measly few kilometres motored in extremis, as the worst of the winter threatened and with only one and a half masts left standing, to reasonable folk Platt's voyage in the Hong Kong-built High Tea was the first single-handed west-to-east transpacific voyage.

With all respect to Mr Horie, it's an overlooked record, well overdue its share of glory.

A lot of article between the ellipses in the excerpt above.

Stephen's Davis' full article well worth a read in the South China Morning Post: www.scmp.com/magazines/

Born in the Volvo - Available to All
Harken ProCare is expanded to cover all the high end grand prix classes as well as the superyachts

The performance and reliability of Harken hardware are worldrenowned - the majority of raceboats have at least one system that is being handled by a block, winch, bearing, cleat or other device made by Harken, whether installed as original equipment or a retrofit. But while Harken hardware is impressive, a new concept is being introduced that further extends both its working life and reliability.

Harken Tech Team ProCare is a new service designed to help competitive race and large-scale programmes keep their equipment running at 100 per cent - the ultimate objective being to reduce the chance of a breakdown caused by a Harken part to as close to zero as is possible in sometimes brutal operating environments.

This concept was piloted during the last Volvo Ocean Race and is being expanded during the next edition. The Harken Tech Team is at every race stop, working with the servicing teams in the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard to keep systems operating at full potential. Some stopovers require a full service, where all pieces of the winches, pedestals, deck hardware and drive units are disassembled, inspected, cleaned and re-assembled, a process that can take technicians days of effort. At other stopovers the systems only received minor servicing, as per a schedule developed by the boatyard.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

A for awful?
She's one of the most talked about superyachts in the fleet, but does global recognition really mean that S/Y A is an attractive vessel?

Since S/Y A first entered the public eye, there has barely been a second where the 142.8m superyacht hasn't made it into headlines. But despite the seemingly relentless stream of media attention, my feelings are that there is a rather large elephant in the room when it comes to the yacht's appearance. 'Unique', 'breathtaking' or 'interesting' are all words that have been used by various news outlets to describe Nobiskrug's latest creation in the past year or so, but am I really alone when I say that S/Y A is not an attractive-looking sailing yacht?

From a purely aesthetical perspective, S/Y A, designed by Phillipe Starck, takes the concept of a sailing yacht and turns its back on the fundamental values of yachting - or even being on the ocean at all. Due to the acute levels of privacy on board required, and the sheer size of the enclosed hull, it looks as if a relationship with the ocean could be more easily achieved on land - a villa with a sea view perhaps.

Georgia Boscawen in SuperyachtNews:

www.superyachtnews.com/opinion/a-for-awful

* From Mark Chisnell:

We've seen a few rather selective comparisons between the very best of the action from the J Class, 12M and IACC days, put up against the racing from AC35. If it were possible, it would be interesting to sit through continuous video coverage of the whole of the Challenger and Cup series from say 2007, (including the ten days or so that it took for enough wind to appear to start racing), and then do the same for AC35 in 2017... then come back and tell us which was - overall - the most entertaining.

Featured Brokerage
2012 Carkeek 40 Mki - DENALI 2. 600000 USD. Located in Harbor Springs, MI - USA.

Top level IRC / ORC contender. Perfect for Fast 40+ circuit and beyond. Complete with fresh sails, mostly fresh water usage and absolutely turn key.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

-----------------------------------------

2016 Modified Ker 40+ - "PACE". 575000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

"PACE", the highly upgraded and modified Ker 40+ is now available. Featuring the latest and greatest technology, as developed for the FAST 40 class rules, she is a step above her rivals in the pursuit of those performance gains. FAST 40 Class National champion in 2017. Wants for nothing....

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+44 2380 016582
+64 277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

-----------------------------------------

2010 Davidson Custom 70. 850000 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy

Designed by Laurie Davidson, this Custom 70 (Mini Maxi) is a true performer in light breeze due to her narrow waterline and super quick in breeze. Clean and tidy deck layout and bright and airy interior.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Hobbes : "What are you doing?"
Calvin : "Being cool."
Hobbes : "You look more like you're bored."
Calvin : "The world bores you when you're cool."

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Max Salminen maintains lead at Opel Finn Gold Cup
Max Salminen, from Sweden, extended his lead at the Opel Finn Gold Cup to seven points after placing fifth in the only race possible on Day 4. Ed Wright, from Britain, remains in second, while Jonathan Lobert, from France moves up one place to third, on equal points with Wright. The race was won by the 2013 World Champion, Jorge Zarif, from Brazil.

Salminen is the only sailor so far to retain his overnight lead, while most of the top ten remain the same, apart from Anders Pedersen, from Norway, who placed ninth today, and moves into the top ten.

After six hours waiting for a stable wind, which shifted through almost 180 degrees during the morning and early afternoon, one late race was sailed in a slowly building breeze, topping out at 13-16 knots. Lobert made the best of the wet upwind as the wind increased past 10 knots and Oscar was raised at the top mark. He was followed round by Zarif and Nenad Bugarin, from Croatia.

Bugarin has sailed an excellent series and would be a title contender but for two letter scores that have left him carrying 114 points, a very high price in a fleet of this size and quality.

Zarif took the lead on the downwind and never really looked threatened for the remainder of the race. Lobert then came under pressure from Zsombor Berecz, from Hungary, on the second upwind, but just managed to stay in front. However Berecz went wider on the downwind and came into the final mark just ahead to finish second ahead of Lobert.

Racing is scheduled to start Friday at 10.00.

Top ten after seven races
1. Max Salminen, SWE, 31
2. Ed Wright, GBR, 38
3. Jonathan Lobert, FRA, 38
4. Nicholas Heiner, NED, 48
5. Zsombor Berecz, HUN, 49
6. Ioannis Mitakis, GRE, 53
7. Piotr Kula, POL, 60
8. Facundo Olezza, ARG, 65
9. Anders Pedersen, NOR, 81
10. Milan Vujasinovic, CRO, 84

www.2017finngoldcup.org

Birthday on Balaton for Finn Legend Gerardo Seeliger
Gyorgy Finaczy with Gerardo Seeliger at Balatonfoldvar this week. Click on image to enlarge.

Many sailors at the 2017 Finn Gold Cup are making new friends, meeting old friends, and telling stories of times past. There are plenty of connections linking the past and the present.

Many of them involve the International Finn Association's President of Honour, Gerardo Seeliger, from Spain, who is not only sailing his first Finn Gold Cup in 41 years, but also celebrating his 70th birthday this Thursday. He is one of the oldest sailors here and recently relaunched his Finn career. He has been reenergised by the prospect of sailing the 2018 Finn World Masters in El Balis, near Barcelona, where he will officially qualify as a Finn Legend. This event is part of his training for next year. He is currently placed 102nd.

In 1970 Seeliger was sailing the European Championships in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland. In the latter part of the week it became very windy with winds from force 4-7. It was in the days of one long race a day, and because of fog on the Tuesday there were two races scheduled on Thursday, the second of which should not have been held. Two competitors were discovered floating away from their craft, including Seeliger. He had no lifejacket and was wearing several sweaters, common at the time for increasing weight.

He recalls, "I capsized and became detached from the boat."

"I was completely waterlogged. My lungs were full of water. I had given up."

Then he felt a pair of hands trying to pull him out of the water.

Hungarian Finn sailor, Gyorgy Finaczy, had seen Seeliger's overturned hull and started looking around until he finally found his fellow Finn sailor. Finaczy abandoned his race to save Seeliger. Somehow he got the soaking Spaniard into his boat and transferred him to a motorboat to go back to shore and to hospital for checks. Needless to say, Seeliger sailed the next day with no ill effects.

When Seeliger went home to Spain he went to the Olympic Committee and asked them to give Finaczy a medal for good sportsmanship and for saving his life. Finaczy was invited to Spain to receive the medal, but could not leave the Communist Hungary at the time, unless it was for an international sailing competition. He could only come at Christmas, so the Palamos Chistmas Race came into existence, created solely for Finaczy to be able to travel to Spain.

Earlier this week Gyorgy Finaczy and Gerardo Seeliger met again, for the first time in 30 years - old Finn friends with an unbreakable bond.

So the Finn Class wishes a happy 70th Birthday to Gerardo Seeliger.

He said, "Being here at the Finn Gold Cup is the best birthday present I could wish for."

Once a Finn sailor, always a Finn sailor.

finnclass.org

Galateia again at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
Photo by Ingrid Abery, www.ingridabery.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

A singleton windward-leeward race for the Maxi 72s and Wallys was held on what for all the other classes was a layday at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. Two races were scheduled to make up for those lost earlier in the week, but, after the first was completed, the wind suddenly piped up to 28 knots causing PRO Peter Craig to suspend racing for the day.

Following her victory in yesterday's second race, the new Wallycento Galateia blasted around the race track once again claiming both line honours and the win under IRC corrected time. She now leads the Wally class, 8 points ahead of the Wally 80 Nahita, with the Wally 77 Lyra a further point behind.

International Maxi Association member, Dieter Schon on Momo made it three wins in a row. The German team now leads the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship by 4.75 points.

A boat to benefit from the usually unfavoured right today was Alex Schaerer's Caol Ila R. This being her first Maxi 72 inshore event of 2017, the Swiss boat has been lagging at this year's Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship. The crew was therefore delighted to lead at the top mark. "It shows that if you sail well the boat is still competitive against the new ones even in strong winds, when we are more optimised for lighter wind," said Schaerer. Sadly this was not to last. Their A2 the spinnaker promptly blew up upon hoisting.

They were not alone in blowing up sails. Hap Fauth's normally immaculate Maxi 72 Bella Mente ripped the top off her J3 four minutes into the first beat. Her crew carried out the speediest of jib changes, bareheaded. Despite this incident, they pulled up the fleet and at one point were up to second.

Tomorrow will be the penultimate day of racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Mistral wind is forecast to abate to 7-12 knots. -- James Boyd / www.sailingintelligence.com

yccs.it

Lifesaver - Exposure lights
When you do need it you do need it to work

Digital technology has entered every part of our lives and its growing acceptance in the marine safety field means that increasingly these devices and their improving ease of use can literally save lives.

At the forefront of this field is Exposure Marine's Overboard Location Alert System (OLAS), which allows its users to know instantly when and where someone has gone overboard or out of range and directs the user to initiate retrieval procedures. Without the need for any network signal, this system converts a mobile phone or tablet into an integral part of a boat's lifesaving equipment.

The way the system operates is simple: OLAS uses a low-energy Bluetooth network which is embedded into Exposure's proprietary Alert and Find technology. The phone's app can be paired with a discreet OLAS tag which can be worn like a watch or attached to a lifejacket or throwing object such as a Dan Buoy. The Bluetooth pairing creates a virtual tether to the tag, which is broken when it goes in the water or beyond its working range of 30m.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

MAPFRE presents its Volvo Ocean Race team
The complete MAPFRE team have been presented today at the Real Club Nautico in Sanxenxo, the team's training base, in the presence of His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, the team's CEO Pedro Campos, and MAPFRE CEO, Antonio Huertas.

MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernandez was joined on the stage by the ten other crew members, who will make up the team, and perfectly combine talent, youth and experience, with a total of 21 round the world races, five Olympic medals, and three America's Cup victories among them, and includes the first Spanish woman in history to compete in the race, Olympic champion Tamara Echegoyen. Also New Zealand's Blair Tuke, who will try to become the first sailor in history to win the 'Triple Crown' of an Olympic gold medal, the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.

A further surprise is the under-30 crew member, Louis Sinclair from New Zealand, who has also joined the team.

MAPFRE Crew
1. Xabi Fernandez (ESP). Skipper
2. Joan Vila (ESP). Navigator
3. Pablo Arrarte (ESP). Watch Captain
4. Rob Greenhalgh (GBR). Watch Captain
5. Ñeti Cuervas-Mons (ESP). Bowman and boat captain
6. Tamara Echegoyen (ESP). Trimmer
7. Sophie Ciszek (USA/AUS). Bowman
8. Willy Altadill (ESP) Under 30 crew. Trimmer/helmsman
9. Blair Tuke (NZL) Under 30 crew.Trimmer/helmsman
10. Neal McDonald (GBR), Performance manager and helmsman (reserve)
11. Louis Sinclair (NZL),Under 30 crew.Trimmer/bowman (reserve)

http://www.desafiomapfre.com
http://volvooceanrace.com

Emily Nagel joins Team AkzoNobel
Team AkzoNobel - the Dutch professional sailing team competing in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race - has announced Bermudian sailor Emily Nagel as the latest member of its international crew. Aged 23, Nagel is the eleventh sailor to be confirmed and will be taking part in her first around-the-world race.

Nagel - the youngest female sailor in this edition of the race - described becoming part of the team as "a childhood dream come true". She cites British solo skipper Dame Ellen MacArthur as the inspiration behind her long-held desire to race around the world.

As well as a stint as commodore of the University sailing club, she was also the British University Sailing Association (BUSA) ladies captain for two years. In 2015 she led an otherwise all-male BUSA team on a victorious team racing tour of the US.

With less than 50 days to go to the start of the nine-month, 46,000-mile race in Alicante, Spain, on October 22, Nagel and the rest of team AkzoNobel are currently engaged in an intensive program of crew training and speed testing from the Volvo Ocean Race Boatyard base in Lisbon, Portugal.

Under race rules, the entire fleet of seven international teams competing in the 2017-18 edition of the 83,000-kilometer (45,000-mile) Volvo Ocean Race must arrive in Lisbon by September 18 for maintenance checks ahead of a non-counting prolog race to Alicante starting on October 8.

www.teamakzonobel.com
volvooceanrace.com

Sweden wins Nord Stream Race
Cape Crow Yacht Club from Hono near Gothenburg in Sweden has won the Nord Stream Race 2017 (26th August to 6th September) after finishing third on the final leg from Helsinki to St. Petersburg in Russia. The Swedes also take the "Nord Stream Cup" for best all-rounder in the combined inshore and offshore ranking. The German team from Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club has won the "Nord Stream Race Inshore Trophy".

Skippered by 25-year-old professional sailor Patrik Sturesson, the Swedish crew has established Cape Crow Yacht Club as "The Best Yacht Club of the Baltic Sea" and takes the Nord Stream Race Trophy 2017. On the ClubSwan 50 with Sturesson were navigator Jimmy Hellberg, Holger Tidemand, Erik Malmberg, Martin Krite, Axel Munkby, Marcus Hoglander, Johan Wikman, Arvid Bild, Julius Hallstrom and boat captain Giuseppe Filippis. With an average age of 28 years, the Swedes had the second youngest team.

Sailing with the team for the first two legs was the round-the-world veteran Martin Krite, part of the winning crew in the 2011/12 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Swedes quickly worked out how to get the best out of the ClubSwan 50, the powerful one-design keelboat used by all five international teams in this year's competition, which set out from Kiel in Northern Germany on 26 August.

Finishing second on this leg and coming second overall in the offshore ranking were Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland), led by charismatic skipper and Whitbread Race veteran Kenneth Thelen.

The final place on the podium for the offshore ranking goes to Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) in third place, with Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) in fourth and Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) in fifth place.

The only team who didn't sail to St Petersburg was Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) who decided to sail to Tallinn to analyse some minor damage to the mast in case it got worse during the passage to St Petersburg. -- Andy Rice, www.sailingintelligence.com

Nord Stream Race Trophy - four Offshore Legs
1. Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) - 7
2. Nylandska Jaktklubben (Team Finland) - 10
3. Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) - 13
4. Lord of the Sail - Europe (Team Russia) - 14
5. Frederikshavn Sejlklub (Team Denmark) - 17

www.nord-stream-race.com

12m Enterprise Prepares To Return To Racing In 2018
Recently under new ownership, Enterprise US-27 begins a new phase of her life. The new team is very excited about the boat and the upcoming years of competitive racing in the 12mR modern fleet! What a terrific opportunity to bring back such a purebred as Enterprise into racing shape to compete for the 2019 World Championship.

Enterprise was built in 1977 as a continuation of the Courageous model. Designed by Olin Stephens at S&S, she was initially skippered by Lowell North of North Sails. She was beaten by Courageous in the '77 trials, but then continued on in 1980 and 1983 to serve as a competitive trial horse for the Freedom and Azzura campaigns. Enterprise has long been an admired design, and has served her crews well throughout many years of competition. Enterprise, US-27

The new team consists of some great friends and partners from the Newport area who are very excited to see Enterprise being taken seriously as a contender for the 2019 12mR World Championships. The new owner is an experienced and passionate yachtsman who has put together an equally passionate and dedicated group of sailors, designers, and engineers each sharing a long history in the 12mR community. The afterguard of the team consists of three individuals who shared in the early campaigns with Enterprise in 1977 and 1980. Steve Casella of NEB in Portsmouth, was an original builder of the yacht in 1977 at Minneford Yacht Yard. Tom Rich, also of NEB, was an original crew member when the boat was campaigned in 1977 by Lowell North, and Mike Toppa of North Sails who sailed on-board in 1979-1980 when she was a trial horse for Dennis Connor's Freedom campaign. Paul Buttrose, former President of the ITMA, has thrown his hat in the ring as Program Consultant, and David Pedrick of Pedrick Yacht Design has agreed to bring his valuable insight from years of 12mR experience into the fold for Enterprise. This tight nucleus of 12mR knowledge and experience are being joined by the current S&S design team based here in Newport and led by chief designer Brendan Abbott.

12metreyachtclub.org

Hurricane Irma destroys marinas and ports in the Caribbean
Hurricane Irma has devastated several Caribbean islands, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British Virgin Islands. It has destroyed marinas and port facilities as its 185mph winds make their way northward towards south Florida. Nine people are reported to have died.

According to the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, around 95% of the buildings in Barbuda have been damaged. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the island was now "barely inhabitable" and estimated it would cost US$100m to rebuild.

Saint Martin's ports have also been decimated by the storm, according to news reports. The airport tower on the French side of the island has collapsed, while its harbour facilities have been destroyed. That means that no ships can come in with supplies. Reports online said that Dutch defence aircraft are flying to the island to assess the best way to open a direct route from the Dutch island of Curacao to move supplies to Saint Martin.

Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has also been hit badly. Photos show buildings in Road Town looking as though they have been bombed out. The capital's landmark building, Scotia Bank, has been completely destroyed. The "hurricane hole" at Paraqita Bay, where charter fleets from The Moorings MarineMax and others are based, was also badly damaged. Photos on social media show dozens of boats piled on top of each other in a corner of the marina. Other images of another BVI marina are filled with half-sunken vessels.

plus.ibinews.com

* From Butch Dalrymple-Smith

In your possibly justified criticism of the looks of sailing yacht A, your correspondent Georgia Boscawen missed the obvious point.

Sailing yacht A, in common with many other yachts of questionable aesthetics, looks fantastic from the inside, looking out.

And that, after all, is what the client is paying for.

* From John Waugh. Auckland NZ

It seems to me that people writing on the subject of future formats for the AC fail to recognise something very basic about sailing. It is a participation sport, not a TV spectacle. Twenty years ago when I wrote an "Irate of Hamble" letter to the BBC about the fact that they showed coverage of the Volvo Ocean Race at two o'clock on a Saturday afternoon when any sailor worth the name was out sailing, they replied that they had done their market research and had discovered who their audience was - Mrs Housewife in Slough doing the ironing of a Saturday afternoon. Whatever happens next time for the AC, please let it be for sailors and not television audiences.

Featured Brokerage
2010 Davidson Custom 70. 850000 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

-----------------------------------------

2017 Ker 33 - New Build. 189,000 USD. Located in China.

The first dual-purpose cruiser/racer from the McConaghy/Ker partnership. Huge promise whilst on the race track as usual, but some proper interior comfort.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com

-----------------------------------------

1997 Maxi 79' Racer - 'OURDREAM'. Price on request. Located in Ravenna, Italy.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -- Douglas Adams

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Emirates Team New Zealand Confirm High Performance Monohull for AC36 | Max Salminen wins Opel Finn Gold Cup | Britons Saxton and Dabson Win 2017 Nacra 17 World Championship | North Sails Expands Support in the UK, Belgium, and Holland | Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup | A Blustery End to the Royal Southern YC Summer Series | Irish Olympic hero and Kiwi offshore racer to join Turn the Tide on Plastic | One year on - HH Catamarans | Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup | Letters to the Editor | Featured Brokerage

Emirates Team New Zealand Confirm High Performance Monohull for AC36
Emirates Team New Zealand can confirm Patrizio Bertelli's suggestion today that the next America's Cup will be sailed in high performance monohull yachts.

Currently there are a team of designers, lead by Emirates Team New Zealand Design Coordinator Dan Bernasconi working on various exciting monohull concepts which will eventually help shape the AC36 Class Rule.

Emirates Team New Zealand have been consulting with a number of potential challengers and there is an overall desire to have a spectacular monohull yacht that will be exciting to match race, but also one that the public and sailors can relate to as a sail boat that really challenges a full crew of professional yachtsman around the race track.

Further details of the Protocol for the 36th America's Cup will be announced at the end of the month.

emiratesteamnz.com

Max Salminen wins Opel Finn Gold Cup
Max Salminen, from Sweden, has secured his first Finn world title as the 2017 Opel Finn Gold Cup closes at Balatonfoldvar with an extremely close and intense medal race in light winds. Jonathan Lobert, from France took the silver while Nicholas Heiner, from The Netherlands, took bronze after leading the race from start to finish.

With a reasonable wind forecast it was with some dismay that the sailors arrived at Spartacus SC to a windless lake and a postponement. However it wasn't long before an easterly wind was in place and the top 10 were sent out for the medal race.

The title was down to five sailors, with Salminen, Wright and Lobert with the best chances, and Heiner and Zsombor Berecz, from Hungary with outside chances.

Sailed in 6-8 knots it was the kind of conditions the sailors had expected all week, and that many had trained for.

Salminen controlled his main opponents and defended against Lobert and Wright. But the title nearly slipped away from him on the final downwind as the pressure dropped out on the left and both boats passed him just before the finish.

As the fleet crossed the finish line there was some frantic maths to work out who had won what. In the end, it was extremely close, with just three points separating the top four boats. Even the coaches didn't want to commit for fear of missing a point. But finally the results were known and the celebrations began.

In the final race for the rest, it was quite fitting that the race win went to the new U23 World Champion Oskari Muhonen, from Finland. This gave him an impressive 11th overall in the Finn Gold Cup.

Final top ten results (medal race in brackets)
1. Max Salminen, SWE, 47 (8)
2. Jonathan Lobert, FRA, 48 (5)
3. Nicholas Heiner, NED, 50 (1)
4. Ed Wright, GBR, 50 (6)
5. Zsombor Berecz, HUN, 53 (2)
6. Ioannis Mitakis, GRE, 59 (3)
7. Piotr Kula, POL, 80 (10)
8. Facundo Olezza, ARG, 83 (9)
9. Milan Vujasinovic, CRO, 92 (4)
10. Anders Pedersen, NOR, 95 (7)

Full results: www.2017finngoldcup.org/results

Britons Saxton and Dabson Win 2017 Nacra 17 World Championship
From the closest and most exciting finish to a world championship Medal Race in the Olympic history of the multihull class, Great Britain's Ben Saxton and Katie Dabson pipped Spanish rivals Fernando Echavarri and Tara Pacheco, foiling at full speed across the finish line to win the 2017 Nacra 17 World Championship title on the French waters of the Baie d'Aigues Mortes by La Grande Motte. Down the final run the Spanish veteran Echavarri, 2008 Olympic gold medallist in the Tornado catamaran class, sailing with Tara Pachecho, lead the British duo into the finish of the double points Medal Race but was lifted by the breeze and lost out to the flying, fully foiling Brits who judged to perfection their layline to the finish.

"In all my years that is the closest finish I have been involved in. It was decided in the last 20 seconds." Smiled Echavarri ruefully, "But to be honest if it is not us who won I am happy to see Ben and Katie win, they have worked hard and deserve it."

The Medal Race in the gusty breezes and flat water was a perfect arena showcase finale to the 2017 Nacra 17 World Championships. Ironically at the first post Olympic meeting of all three 2016 Rio medal winners none made the cut into the top ten qualifiers for the medal race.

Australia's silver winners Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin finished 11th and Argentina's Santi Lange and Cecilia Carranza - who scored a BFD in the penultimate race - finished 13th. New Zealand's Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders won both the last Finals races today prior to the Medal Race and finish fourth overall, repeating their Rio finish.

Nacra 17 World Championship, La Grande Motte, France.

1. Ben Saxton/Katie Dabson, GBR, 92 points
2. Fernando Echavarri Erasun/Tara Pacheco Van Runsoever, ESP, 95
3. Ruggero Tita/Caterina Banti, ITA, 109
4. Gemma Jones/Jason Saunders, NZL, 111
5. Paul Kohlhoff/Alicia Stuhlemmer, GER, 115
6. John Gimson/Anna Burnet, GBR, 115
7. Moana Vaireaux/Manon Audinet, FRA, 121
8. Lin Ea Cenholt/Christian Peter Lubeck, DEN, 122
9. Iker Martinez/Olga Maslivets, ESP, 128
10. Olivia Mackay/Micah Wilkinson, NZL, 129

Full results

North Sails Expands Support in the UK, Belgium, and Holland
The world's leading sailmaker will expand its presence in Europe with the addition of key North Sails Experts and Certified Service personnel. "We are excited to announce new area management and an expanded team in Belgium and Holland, as well as a strong addition to our UK staff with sailmaker and experienced professional sailor, Nick Bonner," said North's European Sales Manager, Bob Lankester.

"My decision to join North Sails was based on the fact that their design, sails, and service are the best in the world. The resources we have globally and here in the UK are unparalleled," said Nick, who's industry experience spans 30 years. "The 3Di product offers proven advantages, and the continued development means the product is getting better and better." Nick joins the North Sails team in Gosport, UK, as of September 1st.

Meanwhile, North clients in Belgium and Holland will benefit from reinforced local support led by new area manager, Nic Bol. Long-time North team members Wouter Kollmann and Anton Brinkhof welcome Nic onboard, along with well known Rotterdam sailors, Jacco Huijgen and Mark Meeuwisse. The expanded team is well equipped to support growing demand in Dutch and Belgian markets.

North Sails is proud to offer the largest worldwide service network of any sailmaker. By producing over 50,000 custom sails per year, our global team has the experience and know-how to assist in all of your sailing needs, whether you race or cruise. Contact your local loft today, and learn how North Sails can enhance your time on the water.

northsails.com/sailing/en/lofts

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
Photo by Max Ranchi, www.maxranchi.com. Click on image for photo gallery.

Porto Cervo, Italy: Saturday was the final day of racing in the 28th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Title Sponsor Rolex and the International Maxi Association.

Winners of the respective Classes are Momo (Maxi 72), Ribelle (Supermaxi), Highland Fling XI (Maxi), Galateia (Wally), Jethou (Mini Maxi R), Supernikka (Mini Maxi RC1) and H2O (Mini Maxi RC2).

The final day of racing saw the Maxi72 and Mini Maxi Racers do two windward-leeward races while the rest of the fleet did a coastal race along the Arcipelago di La Maddalena. Breezes from the northwest building to 14 knots gradually came up against winds from the southeast. A dead zone formed between these two fronts and the Race Committee chose to shorten the course and end the day's racing off Capo d'Orso.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup also included the Maxi72 World Championship and competition was fierce. By the end of the event the German team aboard Momo won the championship, just one point ahead of Proteus. Bella Mente and Cannonball were third and fourth placed, just two points behind. Momo was also declared winner of the 2017 Maxi72 Class and best-placed yacht owned by a YCCS member.

In the prestigious Supermaxi Class, the 33m Ribelle had already won numerically by the end of yesterday's races. Nevertheless, her team gave it their all again today and placed second.

The Maxi Class saw YCCS member Sir Irvine Laidlaw's Highland Fling XI edge out Nefertiti, second overall after placing first in the last two day's races. Rambler 88, with AC vet Brad Butterworth as tactician, placed second.

The Wally fleet was most numerous and saw the Wallycento Galateia won handsomely over Nahita and Lyra. Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou won in the Mini Maxi Racing Class, placing first every day and beating Spectre and Lucky, who finished in second and third places respectively, tied for points.

yccs.it

A Blustery End to the Royal Southern YC Summer Series
The Royal Southern Yacht Club Summer Series came to a conclusion with the September Regatta, incorporating the Contessa 26 National Championships. Four races were completed for all classes on two courses, racing under IRC, Sportsboat, Contessa 26 Class Rules, and three races for the Club Class. After a blustery first day, the last day of the regatta was held in breeze consistently over 20 knots, and by the close of racing, the westerly wind was close to 30 knots.

The sixth edition of the Contessa 26 National Championships was won by Chris Charlesworth's Meow, with Sarah Applebey's High Potential second, and Mike & Barbara Harrison's Jiminy Cricket third. Other winners in the Contessa 26 National Championship were; Thomas Olden's Genesee in the NHS Division and Chris Stevens' Rosina of Beaulieu in the NHS White Sails Division.

Racing at the Royal Southern Yacht Club continues with the second edition of Hamble Classics, to be held 16-17 September, which will welcome all styles of classic yachts including Metre classes, Classic Racers and Cruisers, Old Gaffers, Dayboats and Spirit of Tradition yachts.

Full results of all classes: www.royal-southern.co.uk

Irish Olympic hero and Kiwi offshore racer to join Turn the Tide on Plastic
Turn the Tide on Plastic have announced two more female sailors for their Volvo Ocean Race campaign - Irish Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy and New Zealand's Bianca Cook. Both under 30, the pair join skipper Dee Caffari's mixed and youth-focused campaign after successful trials, and take the total number of confirmed sailors in their squad to 10 with just 44 days to go until the start of the race.

"Annalise and Bianca both add strength to the squad and are developing quickly," said Caffari. "Coming from an Olympic background, Annalise's strength and racing skills are obvious, but she is still learning about life offshore, whereas Bianca has lots of big boat experience and is very comfortable offshore."

Dublin-born Murphy, 27, took silver in the Laser Radial class at Rio 2016, and was recently named Irish Times/Sport Ireland's Sportswoman of the Year.

"The jump from Olympic inshore sailing to professional offshore sailing is a big one," said Murphy. "I am expecting this race to be the toughest thing I have ever done both mentally and physically but I also can't wait for it to start."

New Zealand's Cook, 28, has accumulated over 70,000 offshore miles in the last few years.

The new recruits join a multinational squad led by Caffari (GBR) and featuring Australia's Liz Wardley and Lucas Chapman; Italy's Francesca Clapcich; Britons Bleddyn Mon and Henry Bomby, and Portuguese sailors Frederico Pinheiro de Melo and Bernardo Freitas.

volvooceanrace.com

One year on - HH Catamarans
It's not just the foiling multihulls racing ahead

It was only a year ago that the HH66 was introduced to the luxury performance catamaran market; since then activity both in the boatyard and on the racecourse has been frenetic. The potential this boat showed in the design brochures and renderings from Morrelli & Melvin is translating into reality, with outstanding performance, reliability and, most importantly, customer satisfaction.

HH66 hull no1, R-SIX, which was delivered to Valencia in June 2016 and promptly set out to sea, cruising as far east as Cyprus, was put on display to an admiring crowd at the Cannes Yachting Festival, and then attended the inaugural edition of the Multihull Cup Regatta in Mallorca. Sailing in a competitive class of more seasoned peers, including Coco de Mer, Slim and Nigel Irens' custom 78 Allegra, R-SIX pounced on the challenge, finishing in first place overall.

In January this year R-SIX crossed the Atlantic in time to shift from cruising to racing mode for the Caribbean 600, where light winds prevailed for much of the 600-mile course. With gourmet food and plush accommodation, R-SIX raced in comfort and finished third behind two rather less commodious MOD70s - not a bad result.

Full article in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
Newport, RI, USA: If experience in the event itself is the key to success in the fifth edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, then the list of favorites has to start with the three teams helmed by sailors who have competed in each edition of this biennial Corinthian challenge. The teams representing the New York Yacht Club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club and the defending champions from the Royal Thames Yacht Club will be led by sailors who have sailed in every single race in the history of Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup.

The 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will take place September 9 to 16 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court, in Newport, R.I. Amateur sailors representing 14 yacht clubs from around the globe will converge on Newport to race in the ultimate one-design, big-boat competition. The boats and sails are provided and the rig tune is standardized across the fleet. The Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is sponsored by Rolex, Porsche, AIG, Nautor's Swan, and Helly Hansen and will be broadcast live via the web.

For Anthony O'Leary, from Ireland's Royal Cork Yacht Club, the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup is something of a family tradition. O'Leary represented the Royal Cork at the first regatta in 2009 and has returned to each event since, accompanied by one or more of his sons on the crew, along with his wife Sally.

The elder O'Leary is a tireless campaigner who has twice been named the Irish Sailor of the Year and regularly competes in both small planing one-designs and larger offshore events. While the crew doesn't have the opportunity to sail the Swan 42 except at this event, Robert O'Leary thinks their collective experience in four previous editions of Rolex NYYC Invitational Cup will allow them to get up to speed quickly during the three days of pre-regatta practice.

The following yacht clubs will compete for the 2017 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup: Eastern Yacht Club (Marblehead, Mass.), Itchenor (GBR) Sailing Club, Japan Sailing Federation, New Bedford Yacht Club (South Dartmouth, Mass.), New York Yacht Club, Royal Cork (IRL) Yacht Club, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Royal Sydney (AUS) Yacht Squadron, Royal Thames (GBR) Yacht Club, Royal (GBR) Yacht Squadron, Shelter Island (N.Y.) Yacht Club, Southern (New Orleans) Yacht Club, Yacht Club Argentino.

How to follow the racing

Race Schedule (First day of racing is Tuesday)

InvitationalCup.org

* From Jonathan Brewin, Chair, Bermuda Race Organizing Committee

If you have already completed the survey of ocean sailors I wrote to you about a couple of weeks ago, please disregard this notice. Thank you very much for your participation. If you have not yet taken the survey, I urge you to take part now, as this important survey will be closing in a few days.

Here's what I said in my previous letter: This is an important request, especially for NBR racers, and I strongly encourage you to participate in the survey described below. This season, the Newport-Bermuda Race and a few of North America's premier offshore race organizers and yacht clubs have teamed together to create a survey to learn what is most important to you, as an ocean cruiser or racer.

Should you have any questions or have any difficulty accessing the survey, please do not hesitate to contact the administrator at: Bill@performanceresearch.com

Featured Brokerage
2011 AkilariaRC2 GryphonSolo2. 240,000 USD Located in Portland, Maine, USA

GryphonSolo2 Designed by Marc Lombard, this 2014 Atlantic Cup winner is a great all-around performer with exceptionally fast reaching capabilities.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Contact Andrew Sheriff, CPYB
Dion's Yacht Yard, Salem MA
978-985-7077 mobile
andrew@ecys.com

-----------------------------------------

Ker 40+ - PACE. 575,000 GBP. Located in Cowes, UK.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

-----------------------------------------

2007 TP52 - RKO. 440,000 EUR. Located in Sydney, Australia

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ancasta Race Boats
Sam Pearson
+64277733717
sampearson@ancasta.com

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
Osama bin Laden is dead, and the World Trade Center site is teeming with new life. Osama bin Laden is dead and lower Manhattan is pulsing with new activity. Osama bin Laden is dead, and New York City’s spirit has never been stronger. -- Michael Bloomberg

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

In This Issue
Audi J/70 World Championship | Simon Bertheau wins inaugural European Match Race Tour | Harken UK Exhibits at Southampton Boat Show 15-24 September 2017 | AIS Overview And Installation Considerations | Andrew Simpson Foundation : The Sailing Charity | Commitment | Jost Van Dyke and Tortola Devastated by Irma | Cook rediscovered: fishing captain's lost Endeavour from maritime graveyard | Featured Brokerage

Audi J/70 World Championship
Porto Cervo, Italy: 171 teams representing 24 different countries, will be participating at the Audi J/70 World Championship, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the Title Sponsor Audi and the Official Sailmaker Quantum Sails. This will be the fourth edition of the World Sailing recognised J/70 World championship, and the first time that the championship has come to the world renowned sailing grounds of the Costa Smeralda, Sardinia.

Since the J/70 was introduced in 2013, over 1400 boats have been sold worldwide, making it fastest growing One Design class in sailing history. The extraordinary size of the world championship fleet is unprecedented, with a depth of quality which is just as profound. Over 500 sailors will be taking part, including Olympic Gold medallists, winners of the America's Cup, and world champions from the world of sailing.

Italy has the largest contingent of entries by country, 40 teams with Italian skippers will be taking part, boasting world class sailors from many disciplines. Representing Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Audi ambassador, Claudia Rossi will be amongst the favourites to win the world title. Claudia has won the J/70 European title on the last two occasions, and placed fifth at the 2016 J/70 World Championship.

12 teams will be competing from Spain, including Josè Maria Torcida, with a crew including Rayco Tabares. Between them they have won the J/80 World Championship on five occasions, and the highly regarded Spanish team, was a very close second to Claudia Rossi, at the 2017 J/70 European Championship. From Brazil six teams will be racing including, multiple J/24 World Champion, Mauricio Santa Cruz. From Malta, skipper Johnathan Calascione will have Sebastian Ripard on the helm with John Ripard also in the crew, the Maltese team came fourth at the 2017 J/70 European Championship.

12 teams from the United States will compete at the Audi J/70 World Championship, including the reigning J/70 World Champion Joel Ronning, with America's Cup winner, Olympic Silver medallist, and multiple world champion, John Kostecki calling tactics.

10 teams from Great Britain will be racing, including the current J/70 UK National Champion, Ian Wilson, whose Soak Racing crew includes NACRA 17 new World Champion Ben Saxton. 2016 J/111 World Champion, Martin Dent will be a strong contender, whose crew for the championship includes, past J/80 World Champion Ruairidh Scott. 2017 J/88 UK National Champion, Paul Ward has a crew including past Junior Finn World Champion, Charlie Cumbley. Prolific 49er sailor John Pink will be racing with Clive Bush, and double 470 World Champion, Elliot Willis, is part of the crew, helmed by European Etchells champion, Jeremy Thorp.

31 teams will be competing from Germany.

Racing starts on Tuesday 12th September with the 171 boat fleet split into four groups for two days of racing for the Qualifying Series. From Thursday 14th September, three days of the Championship Series are scheduled with Gold and Silver Fleets. The Closing ceremony and Awards at YCCS Regatta Village will be held on Saturday 16th September, where the J/70 World Championship Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the overall winner.

www.facebook.com/J70Class/
http://www.yccs.com

Simon Bertheau wins inaugural European Match Race Tour
French skipper Simon Bertheau and his team APCC Team Jeune secured the victory in the first European Match Race Tour with an impressive win over reigning European Champion Maxime Mesnil.

It was the perfect setup for the Grand Final - a broad range of wind conditions from light sea breeze to gusty thunderstorms, the natural amphitheatre of Ravenna's harbour, perfect organization by the host club Circolo Velico Ravennate and the three contenders for the tour title close at the top of the rankings, with Bertheau on the maximum of 150 points after his victories at Sibenik, Tivat and Monaco. Zbroja, winner at Vienna and Szczecin, was just 10 points behind, and trailed by Presen, another 20 points off the lead.

The European Match Race Tour, which started 7 months ago in February at Croatia's Sibenik, had then stops at Montenegro, at Austria's capital Vienna before heading to the Yachtclub de Monaco. The second part of the tour saw world class match racing at Poland's Szczecin and at the Royal Danish Yachtclub at Copenhagen ahead of the penultimate stop-over at northern Germany's Ploen. There are 46 skippers from 20 nations in the final ranking list. The European Match Race Tour 2018 will start end of February at Sibenik on the Dalmatian coast.

European Match Race Tour 2017 - Top Ten Final Results (Top 10)

1. Simon Bertheau, FRA, 250
2. Patryk Zbroja, POL, 190
3. Dejan Presen, SLO, 170
4. Christian Binder, AUT, 100
5. Helmut Czasny, AUT, 85
6. Maxime Mesnil, FRA, 80
7. Teo Piasevoli, CRO, 80
8. Vladimir Lipavsky, RUS, 75
9. Jacopo Pasinim, ITA, 70
10. Jelmer van Beek, NED, 65

European Match Race Tour Grand Final 2017 Ravenna Final Results (Top 5)

1. Simon Bertheau - FRA
2. Maxime Mesnil - FRA
3. Jacopo Pasini - ITA
4. Dejan Presen - SLO
5. Patryk Zbroja - POL

www.facebook.com/europeanmatchracetour

Harken UK Exhibits at Southampton Boat Show 15-24 September 2017
You can pull line, crank winches, and talk tech with Harken experts at stand J219 during the Southampton Boat Show. Learn how to inspect and service winches and keep your blocks and furling gear in tip-top condition. Harken has lots of products to show you.

Many have trickled down from the cutting edge of America's Cup technology and are now the refined parts that are used by today's cruisers and racers. We also offer an approved list of selected retailers, boatyards, and riggers that have received extensive training on winch repair and service by Harken UK.

Our experts look forward to working with you. They're great problem solvers, and have oceans of ideas on how to make your boat easier, faster, and more fun to sail.

www.harken.com

AIS Overview And Installation Considerations
The Cruising Club of America (CCA), in its continuing efforts to aid mariners who are passionate about offshore sailing, has published a paper on how to choose and install an Automatic Identification System (AIS). The paper is available to all boaters, at no charge, via PDF download from the CCA website.

"This paper is a detailed review of the AIS options available to boaters," said Frank Cassidy (Union, Maine) who authored the in-depth paper on behalf of the CCA's Safety & Seamanship Committee. Cassidy noted that more than 20 knowledgeable CCA members (including Chuck Hawley, Stan Honey, Ralph Naranjo and Nick Nicholson), along with several AIS manufacturers, contributed valuable input that has been included in the paper. Detailing the system's many merits, along with a handful of limitations, the paper is a technically explicit profile of AIS. It provides a thoughtful and thorough discussion of the issues, including the trade-offs associated with different types of installation and the challenge of single antenna installations.

A CCA member for six years, Cassidy obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Science from Harvard University before embarking on a career in the marine electronics field. His expertise includes the development of Loran-C transmitters and receivers, instruments for power and sail boats, as well as vessel traffic control systems in the Suez and Panama Canals utilizing early AIS-like tracking systems. Cassidy was the Engineering vice president at Datamarine International, Chairman of the National Marine Electronics Association Standards Committee, and led the development of the NMEA 2000® Marine Network Standard.

Download the CCA's Safety & Seamanship Committee Guide to Reviewing AIS cruisingclub.org/ais-overview

Andrew Simpson Foundation : The Sailing Charity
Bart's Bash 2017 - raising funds for victims of Hurricane Irma

The Andrew Simpson Foundation & Bart's Bash (16-17th September) unite in this time of crisis to provide aid for rebuilding grassroots sailing programmes & communities affected by Hurricane Irma.

A number of sailing and yacht clubs in the Caribbean that have been affected by Hurricane Irma have taken part in Bart's Bash in previous years and had planned to hold an event during next weekend's Bart's Bash.

In light of recent events, the Andrew Simpson Foundation has pledged to use the funds raised from this year's Bart's Bash to help those affected eventually rebuild their community sailing projects, allowing them to continue to deliver grassroots sailing programmes to young people.

Founding Trustee and most recently, Artemis Racing's Team Manager for the America's Cup, Iain Percy, commented:

"The news and images from the Caribbean are simply horrific and the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma has been something none of us has ever witnessed on this scale. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected. As a Foundation we are keen to contribute some practical help through our global Bart's Bash fundraising and participation initiative."

The funds raised will be distributed via Member National Associations (MNA's) of World Sailing to areas affected.

www.justgiving.com

www.andrewsimpson.org

Commitment
And more commitment - Bouwe Bekking is about to start his 8th race around the globe (sic)

Seahorse Magazine: What led you to your first Whitbread race in 1985-86?

Bouwe Bekking: Back in 1984 I was a very young guy sailing on Admiral's Cup yachts and just starting to do some transatlantics. When Conny van Rietschoten won the Whitbread onboard Flyer I saw the documentary and knew that was all I wanted to do. After a lot of calling around I got the opportunity with Dirk Nauta to race on Philips Innovator - and that was it for me.

SH: I recall that you asked for advice from the other guys on footwear before your first Southern Ocean leg...

BB: Yeh... On the dock before the start I asked the older guys what to wear and was told, 'It's downwind sailing, not a lot of water over the deck so leather boat shoes or simple boots.' Great advice... I was completely underdressed and got frostbite in my toes. Tough lesson. Since then I've both been more careful who to ask for advice and always make sure I have warm feet.

SH: But second place in your first Whitbread was better than Peter Blake, Skip Novak and Eric Tabarly managed on their round the world debuts.

BB: We did well. Plus our average age onboard was 23. Looking back we were as green as grass. But more important was we didn't know enough about how to optimise a rating. Had we done that better we could have perhaps won that race, but we did really well with such an inexperienced team.

The full interview in the September issue of Seahorse: www.seahorsemagazine.com

Jost Van Dyke and Tortola Devastated by Irma
We received word that part of Foxy's is in tact. and everyone was gathered together cooking in the kitchen and we are getting reports that the community is working together.

Foxy's has been serving 'food and strong rum drinks to sailors and visitors since 1966. Regardless of the state of the physical structure, this will continue.

Reports from JVD are scant, but the word is that the physical building that was Foxy's is gone– alone with about most all of the buildings. We have a second hand report that Foxy and Family are fine.

A GoFundMe page set up on Thursday morning for residents and businesses in Jost Van Dyke had raised nearly $28,000 by Friday afternoon.

The page states: "We are friends of Jost Van Dyke helping to raise money for basic life saving needs in the wake of hurricane Irma.

"We are working with the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society (which is a certified BVI non profit organization and maintains 501c3 status in the US) as well as friends on Saint Croix that are working with the Coast Guard to coordinate relief efforts."

The link to the GoFundMe page is:

www.gofundme.com/jost-van-dyke-humanitarian-aid

Foxy's Bar Twitter account is: twitter.com/foxysbar

Another famous bar in the BVIs, the Soggy Dollar Bar, which is on another part of Jost Van Dyke known as White Bay, is almost completely destroyed

The Bitter End Yacht Club was, unfortunately, completely destroyed. It posted this message on Sunday:

"It has been a heartbreaking week for all of us. We wish we could tell you today that the videos and photos you have seen of Bitter End are not real. The reality is that Bitter End Yacht Club and the community of Virgin Gorda have been devastated by Hurricane Irma. In response to the overwhelming outreach received, we have set up a fund to support the employees of Bitter End and the Virgin Gorda community rebuild their lives.

"Since 1973 when we were founded as a family retreat, what has made Bitter End so unique is the people that work and live there. These are the people who have been hit the hardest by this storm.

"They have lost their homes, their schools, their neighborhoods. If you would like to provide a donation, please click on the link below and learn how to help Bitter End Employees, their families and the entire Virgin Gorda community rebuild.

"Thank you all for your love and support of Bitter End. We feel it." www.youcaring.com

www.pubclub.com

Cook rediscovered: fishing captain's lost Endeavour from maritime graveyard
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: Kathy Abbass looks across Newport Harbour and points to a narrow strip of water between two red buoys that promises to surrender a lost jewel in Australia's history.

"Under there lies the remains of a large ship with five cannons," she says. "That ship is the frontrunner to be Captain Cook's Endeavour."

On Monday, this marine archaeologist will instruct a team of divers to plunge into the deep to examine the bones of this and four other ghostly vessels that have kept their secrets since they were scuttled here by the British 239 years ago. It is the most important mission yet in the quest to discover the final resting place of the nation's most historic ship.

"We are finally closing in on the Endeavour," Abbass says. "We still need final proof, but we are closing in."

The resting place of the stout-hearted Endeavour, which bore James Cook, botanist Joseph Banks and their hardy crew up the east coast of Australia and into history, has been an enduring maritime mystery. For much of the past 25 years, Abbass, backed by the Australian National Maritime Museum, has spearheaded a remarkable journey of discovery in Newport under the same waters that once carried Australia II to victory in the America's Cup.

At a time when some historical revisionists are seeking to tarnish Cook's legacy, Abbass and her team are close to a revelation that would shake the maritime world.

If so, it would close the circle on the story of Cook's remarkable journey of discovery, chronicled this week in The Australian, a voyage that not only rewrote the history of Australia but recast the world's knowledge of science, astronomy, navigation and more.

www.theaustralian.com.au

Featured Brokerage
2005 TP52 - ORLANDA. 199,950 EUR. Located in East Coast, Italy.

Original spec TP52 that has had a 2013 refit, including new paint, and has been little used since. Full offshore interior with heads and galley.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

-----------------------------------------

2007 X-46 - VITAMINA X. 190000 EUR. Located in West Coast, Italy.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Ben Cooper
+44 (0) 1590 679 222
ben.cooper@berthon.co.uk

-----------------------------------------

2008 Corby 36 - Stratisfear. 95000 EUR. Located in Pwhelli, Wales.

The pocket rocket "Stratisfear" is now available for the 2017 season and as ever with these Corby designs, they come with IRC potential in abundance.

See listing details in Seahorse's RaceboatsOnly

Contact
Sam Pearson - Ancasta Port Hamble
sampearson@ancasta.com
+442380 016582

See the RaceboatsOnly.com collection at seahorsemagazine.com/brokerage/

The Last Word
If you can't joke about the most horrendous things in the world, what's the point of jokes? What's the point in having humor? Humor is to get us over terrible things. -- Ricky Gervais

Editorial and letter submissions to editor@scuttlebutteurope.com

Advertising inquiries to Graeme Beeson: gb@beesonstone.com or see www.scuttlebutteurope.com/advertise.html

Scuttlebutt Europe #3903 - 16 August

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Scuttlebutt Europe #3915 - 1 September

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Scuttlebutt Europe #3921 - 11 September

Scuttlebutt Europe #3922 - 12 September